Only Time Part One: At the Beginning
by Zarabeth McGregor
Summary: While walking alone one night, Ami meets a mysterious woman who asks her this: If given the opportunity to find your soul mate, your one true love, would you take it, even if it entailed you losing everything you know? *Chapter 23 is up!*
1. Default Chapter

Only Time 

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 1: The night that changed my life

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. They belong to their respective owners. If I did own them, you wouldn't want to watch them. Trust me. 

                  Once again, my muse is being its annoying self. Yet again, it bugs me while I'm trying to sleep with the question that serves as my summary. So, I decided to turn this into a fic. Lord, help me. I have to do a school project, yet here I am writing stories…oh well, it ain't due 'til next year…

~*~

                  I always felt at peace in the water, it always helped me to think clearer, and put things into perspective. That was exactly why I was at the  sport's complex at this ungodly hour, starting my tenth lap. The water was warm, about 86º, and it slid easily off my pale body. I was doing the backstroke, my eyes focused on the complex's ceiling. Thinking, wondering.

                  See, tonight, I was feeling unbelievably restless. I was supposed to be starting my term paper, but I didn't feel like it. That was quite odd, because when it came to schoolwork I was always, _always_, focused. It was important, I had to give a synopsis on our work on the cerebellum. Not exactly the most adrenalin-pumping topic, I know, but I tried to tell myself it laid the foundation to more exciting things later on. Key word there being 'tried'. Suddenly, I found myself second-guessing my decision to go to med-school. Not that I felt overwhelmed, Heavens no! I found it to be hardly challenging, so far. It just suddenly didn't feel…right. 

"Don't be silly, Ami," I told myself, with a slight giggle. I was now on my eleventh lap. I could really rip through the water, if the occasion called for it. "This has been your life's dream; of course you want to do it!" Why did I want to do it? Why was this my life's dream? With a sigh, I absently looked up at the lounge chairs by the pools edge. I gasped. 

There was someone watching me. 

I quickly came out of my backstroke and looked back. 

No one was there.

Great, now I'm going paranoid. Seeing things and all. I decided to call it a night. 

~*~

It was full moon that night, and it shone down in all its glory. The pale light lit up the dark alleyway I was walking down. I knew I should've been at least slightly apprehensive, but I wasn't. Being a Sailor Scout had its advantages. You learnt how to kick some major butt. It was chilly and I felt very glad that I walked with my coat. 

                  They were soft at first, but they became louder. There were footsteps behind of me, slowly following. My blood ran cold and my heart rate picked up rapidly. I tried walking faster, to loose this person, but they picked up their pace too. By the way this person was stepping quite hard on the pavement, I could tell that they wanted me to notice them, to turn around. Well, I wasn't about to play the dumb movie blonde whom turned, only to be bludgeoned to death by a homicidal maniac. Besides, I had blue hair. 

                  I listened to the footsteps behind me, and instantly realized something. It was a 'click, clack, click, clack' sound. The sound of high-heeled boots, _women's _high-heeled boots. But I still wasn't going to turn. Women could be homicidal maniacs too. They stopped abruptly.

"Ami, wait!" said a beautifully deep female voice. So I was right…it was also unfamiliar. "I'm not going to hurt you." Something about her voice made me suddenly fearless. I turned and faced her. 

                  If the word 'beautiful' was to be used to describe her, that would've been a vast understatement.  She was…Lord, there was no word to describe her. She was tall and slender, all dressed in black. Black sweater, black knee-length skirt, black ankle boots. It was as if the moonlight illuminated her porcelain-pale skin. She had a lovely, fine-boned face brought out by a pair of piercing blue eyes. Her hair was long silky and black. Pure black. It made her clothes look like a kind of dark grey color. And her full, red lips were curved into a smile. A small, knowing smile. I was immediately suspicious.

"How did you know my name?" I demanded. She tilted her head to one side and looked at me quite inquisitively. Then she broke out into a full-blown grin. 

"I have a question for you, Ami Mizuno," she said, anticipation heavy in her voice. Before I could answer, she continued. 

And asked simply the most off the wall question I could ever remember being asked.

"If given the opportunity to find your soul-mate, your one true love, would you take it, even if it entailed you losing everything you know?"

I said it was crazy.   


	2. What am I doing?

Only Time 

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 1: The night that changed my life

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. They belong to their respective owners. If I did own them, you wouldn't want to watch them. Trust me. 

            Thanks for the kind reviews. Yes, I realize that there are hardly any Ami centered fics around. That's why I decided she should be the main character in this fic. 

Thank you again, so very _very_ much!

~*~

            I stood there, stunned. I supposed I looked at her like she had just mutated and grown tentacles out of her ears. What the hell kind of question was that? I wanted to ask her this. Instead, due to my shocked state, I had to work with what I said instead.

"Wha…" mystery lady smiled. She enjoyed this, sick person.

"If given the opportunity to find your soul-mate, your one true love, would you take it, even if it entailed you losing everything you know?" she repeated word for word. I stared at her again, and I could feel the cold night's air breezing its way into my mouth. Then I figured it out. 

"Who put you up to this?" I asked, shaking my head. "Lara? Or was it Naomi? Oh, hey, the both of them. Tell me I'm lying. You lot are probably taping this now, aren't you? Have a nice, jolly laugh at poor Ami's expense, huh?" I knew I was flying off at the mouth, but it was a plausible theory. Lara was my roommate and Naomi was her best friend. Both of them were the closest one could come to finding real-life, living, breathing, not-so-wonderful bimbos. 

"Your roommate and her friend have nothing to do with this," she said, mirth in her voice. "Do you really think they would be that intelligent to dream something like this up?"

Well, the woman had a point. 

"Serena and Rei, then!" I threw again, though I knew what her answer would be.

"Serena and Rei aren't even in the country," she said simply. I was still adamant.

"They could've called you and told you to do it!" There, I thought, fight your way out of that Ms Defense Lawyer! She gave a sort of laugh and shook her head.

"You're wasting precious time, Ami," she drawled. 

"You could be acting alone, then. Great! I have my own stalker, now. Law major, no?" she threw back her head and laughed out loud. I could feel my fist tighten. I really didn't see what was so funny.

"Ami…" she gasped out, "you really are something else. I know you have experience with otherworldly creatures." She looked me point blank in the eye and asked, all laugher and fun gone now. "Do you really think I come from this world?" I looked at her. Looked at her good and well. Tell the truth, no, I didn't. She nodded. 

"Thought so," she said. "So, will you be so kind as to answer my question?" I chuckled, disbelievingly. I couldn't believe I was doing this.

"Everything?" I asked.

"Friends, family, the whole nine yards," she nodded. I searched her face. No jesting, no foul play. 

"Of course not!" I said immediately. "I have friends, I have my education to finish, my career to embark upon."

"The same career you were second-guessing while you were swimming," she said calmly, as if she was discussing the weather with me. I, on the other hand, was fighting for my breath. 

"How…how…how'd you…" she held up a hand.

"That doesn't matter," she said solemnly. "Well, let's look into that future of yours, say about…twenty years down the road." She paced across the narrow alleyway like a lawyer in a courtroom. "You and your friends will be very successful, yes. Serena, believe it or not, is an internationally renowned best selling author; her romances are quite scandalous. She has broken Sidney Sheldon's and other highly respected authors' records for number of books sold in the first day. They have her name up for the Pulitzer that year. 

Rei has reached mega-star status. She has won so many Grammys and other such awards, that she has a whole cabinet set-aside for them. She is trying out for her second starring movie role, playing Sayuri in the film adaptation of 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. 

Lita has opened a chain of restaurants across Japan and in select places in the States. She has her own cooking magazine, several published cookbooks and her own highly rated cooking show. It's rumored that she makes the food for the British royal family's banquets. 

Mina has won several sports medals and titles, some of which include Olympic gold and silver for her volleyball skills. She is also into acting and she has won an Oscar for Best Actress in her last movie 'Paint the Sky with Stars.' She's got children too, two boys and a girl. The boys are quite the lookers…" she trailed off. She had been marking each of my friends off with a finger. Her blue eyes were on me now, almost penetrating. 

"And now you, Ami. You have completed your education, and opened up your own private practice. You are now considered the best in your field, that being neurological diseases. You have saved countless lives with your groundbreaking and pioneering research, and the medical world is indebted to you." I blinked when she didn't continue. 

"That's it? I asked. "That's your reason why I should give up my dreams? So I won't become successful."

"I wasn't done, Ami," she said flatly. "I was just catching my breath." 

"Oh for…" I muttered, rolling my eyes. She cleared her throat.

"Yes, Ami, that is what your futures holds. You are all quite successful, and you all still stay friends. But you know what holds you apart from them?" she asked. I knew it was rhetorical, but I answered anyway.

"What?"

"You see, while you may seem happy, you aren't. Your friends are, no pretense about it. Every night, you walk around your now darkened one million dollar mansion. You look in on your five year old daughter as she sleeps soundly in her 'Powerpuff Girls: Next Generation' themed room. You take off your Ralph Lauren suit and slip into a Chanel nightgown. You slip beneath your silk and satin sheets of your king-sized bed and lay awake. You listen for the sound of a Ferrari car engine, but you never hear it. Then you wonder out loud for the umpteenth time: 'Where the hell is my husband?' Because you have seen the signs for years, oh yes, but you refused to believe them. But now you wonder: 'Has this all been a dream, a wild fantasy?'" She looked at me. I guess she could tell by my undoubtedly dumfounded expression that I needed an explanation. 

"They have men in their lives that love and care for them. They were willing to give up everything, their hopes and dreams, just for love," she said simply. You know who she reminded me of at that point in time? Toulouse from that American movie, 'Moulin Rouge.' 

"Okay, who are you? Aphrodite?" I asked, mostly out of jest. She shook her head as if I had made a mistake. 

"No, I'm Destiny," she replied. I understood now. She was supposedly the one who decided everyone's fate in this world. "Yes, Ames, you have my job description down pat."

"Okay, _Destiny_," I spat, "how do you explain their wild success then, if they gave up everything for love?" Destiny shook her head.

"Ami, you're a bright child. Use your head," she said in slight exasperation, "They were still able to be successful because their love drove them to greatness. They knew someone loved them if they failed, but they still worked hard to achieve their objectives because that is what their hearts desired. Don't you get it? You can still be successful. But you can be happy as well, because you will have love, and that will make your success even sweeter."

"Ha!" I scoffed. Destiny gave me a withering look.

"Do you really want to wonder where your husband has been when he should've been with you?" she asked. She was getting through to me; I could feel it. I just wouldn't admit it. 

"Oh, please, this is absurd. Nobody in their right frame of mind would take this offer. This is ludicrous!" I ranted. Destiny gave a small, sad smile.

"As a matter a fact, Ami, many sensible people, such as yourself, have taken this challenge. And they are quite happy," she sighed. "But if you don't want it, fine…" she turned and started walking again, click-clacking on the pavement. As I watched her retreating form, a wave of panic betook me. I felt scared, frightened. I felt like I was losing the most important thing in my life…

"Destiny, wait!" I shouted to her. She stopped slowly and turned. 

"Yes, Ami?"

"I'll do it. Yes, I will take the opportunity to meet my soul mate." Thus began the wildest chapter of my life.  


	3. Who is she?

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 3: A New Day, A New Life

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai and Sailor Moon belongs to another company, Toei Animation. I don't own any of these companies, nor do I know anyone who might own, or have shares within them. Thank you. 

                  Ooh…the most popular question here seems to be who is Ami's soul mate…hmm…who indeed…Thank you for reviewing!

                  Oh, this chapter is gonna be kinda short. Sorry!

~*~

                  She smiled at me. She nodded and smiled.

"You're doing the right thing, Ami," she said softly. My breathing was erratic by now. By fear or excitement, I didn't know. 

"What do I have to do?" I asked breathlessly. 

"Go to your room tonight and get a good night's sleep. When you wake up, everything would have changed. And everything would be have been taken care of. It would be all up to you," she said simply. 

"So, wait, if I needed your help, would you show up like you are now?" I asked nervously. This idea was beyond overwhelming. She eyed me strangely, with a smirk on her face. Reading me was more like it. 

"We'll see," she finally said. Destiny turned and started to walk away. "I wish you the best, Ami," she said solemnly before going on her way. I clutched my coat closer to me and shuddered as a cold breeze blew. As I watched, I saw Destiny seemingly fade away. I turned and hurried back to the university.

~*~

"Hey, Ami!" Lara giggled as I walked into the dorm. Naomi was with her and they both were grinning like cats that got the cream. "Why are you so late?" they asked, their curiosity stifling me. I could only guess what was going through their minds. And I probably guessed accurately too.

"I…" I started about to defend myself when I stopped. I gave them a mysterious smile. "I was meeting with Destiny." I laughed inwardly at their completely dumbfounded looks. Let them take that any way they wanted to. I went into my room and closed the door. I looked around at the room I had called home for the past few months and sighed. It wasn't much, just a twin bed, a desk with a computer on it, a dressing table, a chair and closet. But I would still miss it. 

_If_ this 'Destiny' person didn't just drink one too many tequilas tonight. 

I changed into my night things and crawled into bed. Surprisingly, I went to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Soon, I was dead to my usually quiet surroundings.

~*~

                  Well, the next morning was anything but quiet. Car horns were blaring, tires were screeching and music was blasting. I woke up to this din, wondering what had happened overnight. The campus was never this noisy and there wasn't a public road around for miles…then it slowly came back to me. My meeting with Destiny and her messed up message…

"Oh my God!" I gasped sitting up in bed immediately. I looked around hastily and my heart skipped several beats. 

_I wasn't in my room!_

"Omigod, omigod, omigod…" I was close to hyperventilating. My breath was coming in short, uneven bursts. I looked down and realized I wasn't even in my usual night things. Instead of a nightgown, I was now sporting a pair of icy blue boxers and a matching camisole. The room was quite different as well. For one, it was larger than I remembered. Another thing is that it was well furnished. Plush carpeting, Victorian-inspired interior design…it struck me then. I was in a hotel room. 

"This is too much…" I whispered as I got up and walked over to the adjoining bathroom I had noticed. I turned on the sink's tap and splashed my face with the cool, refreshing water. I leaned over it and tried to catch my breath. Then I looked up.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" I screamed. Last night, I went to sleep with a pixie cut, this morning I woke up with flowing, blue hair that touched my waist. I fingered it softly afraid it might fall off. It didn't. I tugged on it now, just for extra measure. It stayed firmly planted on my head. Oh Lord, this was getting stranger and stranger by the minute. I realized something…

I didn't know where I was. I wasn't even sure if I knew what day of the week it was. I was near insanity by now. I walked into the bedroom clutching my hair and moaning.

"Oh…what did I do…what did I do?" That's when the phone rang. At first I located it sitting by the bed on a little oak table. Then I watched it, hearing the ringing in my ears. Should I answer it? 

_Yes! _The voice commanded me. Bully if I knew where it came from. I did dive on the bed and pick it up quickly, however.

"H…hello?" I answered shakily. I really didn't know just what the hell to expect anymore. 

"Hello!" came a cheerful, and very unfamiliar voice on the other end. "I'm Stacy, calling from the Sanq Kingdom Foreign Affairs Department. Is this Ami Mizuno I'm talking to?" Well, at least I still had my name.

"Yes…yes it is…" I answered uncertainly. So, I was in a place called the Sanq Kingdom…never heard of it.

"Well, you came in here last week for a job interview, and I just called to tell you that you totally blew the other girls away, Ms Mizuno. Your credentials and recommendations are superb…and your personality…really; we would've been crazy not to hire you. So, the job is yours. Do you still want it?" The young lady named 'Stacey' might as well had been talking gibberish, because I wasn't processing a single word of what she just said. 

"Um…what job…?" I asked timidly, knowing how stupid I might've sounded, considering I should know what she was talking about. 

"Uh…" she said uncertainly, "Your job as personal assistant to the Vice Foreign Minister to the Colonies…"

"Pardon?" I asked, perplexed. Colonies? 

"Yes…personal assistant to Ms Relena Darlian/Peacecraft."

And…I shall end this chapter here…nifty cliffhanger, no? Please read and review. Ja!


	4. Chapter 4

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 4: Finding out where I am

Disclaimer: Sigh…I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. Sailor Moon belongs to Toei, Gundam Wing belongs to Sunrise or Bandai. And I don't own these companies either. Thank you and goodbye.

                  Yeah, well, I can guess what's on your mind…from the last chapter; you're probably thinking the Grandmama of all catfights is going to take place in this fic, aren't you? Well…we'll see. 

                  But what I really want to say is that if you're expecting Relena bashing to the max, you won't find it in this fic. Seriously, it's not like I'm a Relena fan, it's just that I don't have a problem with her. I think she's a nice person. So, she will not be bashed…okay, the main reason of the fic will not be to bash her, however…you know, let me just make you read and judge for yourself, huh?

Questions!

Oldestof3: Voting for Ami's soul mate? Sorry, hon, I won't be making you guys vote for her soul mate. However, I have a very interesting plotline mapped out, and I think you'll get some kicks out of it. J

Himesama16: Sequels with the other scouts…that's something worth thinking about. Thanks for the suggestion; I'll see what I can do. J

Amy: Ami/Duo, Ami/Duo…hmm…J

Wicked Lady: Aw…*laughs* I don't know, I like cliffhangers…wait, correction…I like _writing_ cliffhangers…don't get any ideas, please…I can't stand cliffhangers! As for the head messing with, I won't emotionally torture you…too much, that is! J

Kaiya: First of all, thank you for taking the time to read my fic. I'm going to read your Ami fic, don't worry. I'll do that very soon. Ami/Heero you say…hmm…J

Silver Tears: Ami/Quatre, Ami/Quatre…hmm J

Thank you to EVERYONE ELSE who reviewed. I really appreciate it. Without you guys, I wouldn't have had the faith to continue this fic. Thanks again. Again, if you have any questions, not matter how dumb or inconsequential you may think it is, please, still ask it. You may be surprised. J. Oh, and I have a very important announcement at the end of this chapter.  

~*~

Relena Darlian/Peacecraft? Vice Foreign Minister to the _colonies_? Yes, I think it was safe to say that I was beyond confused now. 

"Uh…" I started to say she had the wrong person when a bundle of papers fell from the night table next to the bed. May I interject that they fell on their own accord, that I did _nothing_ to disturb them. I glanced down at them and my eyes widened. They turned out to be the so-called credentials and recommendations Stacey was talking about. 

"Ms Mizuno?" speaking of which, her voice came through the phone, sounding quite confused. I smiled and picked up the fallen papers. 

"Hi, Stacey, sorry about that," I said graciously. "I just woke up, so my mind's kind of muddled."

"Oh, that's alright," she answered, the relief evident in her voice. "It happens to the best of us."

"Thanks. What time should I come in, then?" I asked her. The butterflies in my stomach were fluttering relentlessly. 

"Tomorrow at 8 AM will be just fine," she answered. I could barely contain my happiness. Of course, Stacey probably took this as my joy of scoring a job. She wasn't all wrong, though.

"Thank you so very much. I'll be there!" I answered joyously. Stacey laughed.

"You're welcome, and I'm glad that I was able to make your day. See you tomorrow," she said. I muttered a reply before hanging up. 

"YES!" I shouted, grasping the papers on my lap. I don't know why I was happy, but I just was. I flipped through them and gathered that not only were these my 'credentials' but they also gave a general rundown of the time period I was in. Too giddy to read them at the present moment, I set them down on the bed and jumped up. I was beyond excited and I went to the closet, looking for something to wear tomorrow. I threw open the wooden doors and received the biggest surprise of my life…well, this life anyway.

The closet was empty. Empty! There weren't even any clothes hangers around. 

"Oh God…" I whispered, looking around the room. There weren't any suitcases. I checked the drawers and armoire, but they were empty as well. I was back to hyperventilating now. I sat on the bed and tried to regulate my breathing. I didn't have any clothes, except these night things, no shoes, as far as I could see, and I was staring my job the next morning. Yeah…I was going to show up in boxers and a camisole, huh? I felt my eyes start to water. I didn't even have any money…

I looked across at the window ledge and spied a brown envelope. I don't know why, but I got up and walked over to it. I didn't notice it when I was tearing the room apart, but there it was. 

"Oh please…" I begged softly as I picked it up. Taking a deep breath, I opened it. 

And gasped!

Inside there, I didn't know how much, was a LOT of money. It was obviously the Sanq currency, seeing I didn't recognize it. But it still seemed to be a lot. 

"I'm dreaming…" I muttered to myself, shaking my head. Looking in again, I estimated there to be at least a thousand dollars in there. More than enough to buy new things. My heart sank then. I guess I was supposed to go downtown in my nightclothes then. I dropped the envelope on the bed and went to the bathroom. Once again, I splashed my face with water. I looked up into the mirror, sighing. Then I narrowed my eyes. 

This was getting to be VERY ridiculous. 

I _know_ I came into the bathroom. I _know _I checked the back of the door and didn't find any clothes. 

Yet, there they were. A pair of black capris with a V-neck long-sleeved blue blouse on a hanger. I rolled my eyes. Great, I guess if I went back into the main room, I'd find a pair of shoes. 

Sure enough, I found a pair of blue Sketchers. This REALLY was getting ridiculous. 

Oh, well, at least you can go shopping now, the optimistic side of me said. And I had to agree with it. I showered and ordered room service. After I ate that very scrumptious breakfast, I dressed and took the envelope along with the papers. Might as well read them along the way. I flagged a taxi and told him to take me too the most popular shopping center. Five minutes later, I arrived at a place called Regina. The name suited it. It was a magnificent building about two stories tall with expensive-looking exterior designs. I paid the driver his fare and stepped out hesitantly. It was kind of intimidating and it did look expensive. 

What the hell, Ami? I thought and I pushed the door open. I discovered it was a department store. Plush interior and all. A very soft, very rich looking carpet covered the floor, and there were Louis XIV revival chairs were strategically placed throughout it's interior. Women dressed in designer jeans and tops were looking around, obviously used to the store's layout. Stuffy looking sales women were standing around talking to each other, or helping the customers.

Yes it was intimidating. I don't think I've ever felt so out of place. Hey, I lived in a mansion back in Tokyo, had life kind of easy, but I've never been to a store like this. 

"May I help you, Miss?" one of the stuffy saleswomen had come up to me. She had her salt and pepper hair pulled back into a tight bun, and she looked at me down the length of her aristocratic nose. I could tell she thought I took a wrong turn somewhere; that I didn't belong here.

She wasn't too off the mark.

"Um…" I said nervously. What was I supposed to say? "I'm looking for some working suits…"

"Working suits," she repeated disdainfully. She pulled herself up to full height, which was like a whole foot over my head. 

"Yes…" I said, and decided to pull the sympathy card. "I just moved here and I'm starting a new job." She quirked a brow. 

"And what job may that be?" she asked politely. I knew otherwise, though. She wasn't being polite, she was just looking for a reason to get me out of her store. She would probably reply with something like: 'we don't sell suits of _that_ low quality. Please try somewhere else.' So, I sucked in my breath. 

"I'm the Vice Foreign Minister's new personal assistant…" I started, expecting an answer like the one I was thinking of. Instead, the saleslady's face brightened. Her cold blue eyes started to twinkle and her thin, rouged lips curled into a smile. 

"Why didn't you say so?" she asked, her voice suddenly warm and caring. She led me by my hand to the second floor. "We have several suits I'm sure you'll like." She gave me a quick look-over, this time not in a condescending way. "You look like a size…6 petite…" she led me up the stairs. The room up here was even more lavishly decorated. 18th century French décor mixed with some early Victorian artwork. There seemed to be several room up here, each with an ornate wooden door. She opened one and ushered me in.  

This room was exquisite. There was no other way of describing it. It had a large, heavy draped bay window facing the city and the interior design was more elegant than that of the rest of the store. Maybe working for this Relena-person wasn't a bad idea after all. 

"Do you have any particular preferences?" the lady asked. I sighed. 

"I don't know," I admitted honestly. She smiled maternally at me. 

"Don't worry, I'll fix you right up. Your favorite color would be blue, right?" she asked, and I could feel her eyes roaming over my wealth of azure hair. 

"Yes, thank you," I answered. She left quickly and I sat on the chaise lounge next to the window and looked at the city. It was a very impressive place; busy and bustling like Tokyo, though it had an English feel to it. The buildings were tall and very 'businessy'. There were also little quaint stores and boutiques. Expensive cars ran up and down the street below me, and women were dressed in what I figured to be the latest fashions. I then remembered the papers I had walked with and I started to read them. 

It turns out that my new employer was one of the two survivors of the old Sanq Kingdom royal family; her older brother, Miliardo, being the other one. That's where the name Peacecraft came from. The Old Sanq was burnt to the ground and the rest of the royal family killed. She was then taken in by a man named Mr Darlian and raised as his own daughter. Relena had no idea of her royal heritage until Mr Darlian informed her before he died. During the time period in which the 'Eve Wars' took place, Relena went from being a sheltered rich girl, to queen, and eventually to her role as Vice Foreign Minister, which she still holds. And all at the age of fifteen. 

There was also more in depth information about these Eve Wars. An organization named OZ tried to take control of the earth and its colonies from the United Earth Sphere Alliance. This would've been successful, if it weren't for five young boys piloting machines called Gundams. They themselves came from the colonies. 

Then another war broke out after the Eve Wars, in which the now deceased ruler, Treize Khushrenade's daughter tried to finish her father's job. She kidnapped Relena and declared war on earth. Once again, the Gundam pilots stopped the potentially deadly war. I looked, but there was no information on these pilots, not even names. I started to wonder if this was the truth, that they really were anonymous fighters or if this was another one of Destiny's surprises. I was at the point where I would put _nothing_ past her. 

I read on about my supposed past as well. I was a war survivor, whose family died during the first wars. I came from Tokyo, Japan, where I lived a comfortable life with my mother, a fashion designer who designed for royalty and my father, an army general. I was a child prodigy, I had graduated from university at age 16, my major being Foreign Affairs. Hm, well, my credentials were quite convincing. 

"I'm back," the sales lady announced. She looked like she scoured the whole store, as her arms were overflowing with suits. 

"Um, I don't think I'll be able to afford…" I began, when she laughed.

"Nonsense. We'll do a lay-away plan. Pay what you can now, and you eventually pay off the rest," she winked at me. "I talked it over with the manager and she agreed. She's a personal friend of Ms Peacecraft's."

"Okay…" I said uncertainly. For the next few hours, I tried on what felt like every suit in the store that was my size. Each looked more flattering than the last. I was in heaven. I never was obsessed with clothes, but when I saw how professional and sophisticated I looked…okay, so sue me! I knew looked good! In the end I decided on ten suits, most of different shades of blue and some black ones. I could tell Priscilla, that was her name, was glowing with pride. She brought up some pumps as well and I took some of those. I didn't usually go wild when I went shopping, but there was a first time for everything. 

"You look lovely, dear," she said softly, as I tried on a smoky blue suit with the matching pumps. Priscilla even showed me different ways to do my hair. Though she acted like a snob when I first encountered her, she was really a nice person. 

"Thanks," I told her quietly as I studied my reflection. The suit was fitted, so it showed my curves. The skirt was a few inches above my knees, and combined with the pumps, it seemed like I had miles of legs. Yes, I really was ready to face the world of work. I couldn't wait.

Okay, that's that. Please review. Sorry if Ami seemed OOC, but that's how I thought she'd react. Oh, yes the important notice: 

I will have to start updating these fics erratically. This is because I'm in my last year at high school, and I need to focus all of my attention on my school work. Notice I didn't say abandon. They will be updated, just not as regularly as I have been doing them. Sorry about that.  


	5. Chapter 5

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon, they don't belong to me they belong to some other companies whose names I mentioned in past chapters. Thank you.

                  Now is when the action really starts, people! Yes, in this chapter, Ami will be going to work and she will meet Relena. In the next chapter, she will see who these 'mysterious' Gundam pilots are! I'm so psyched about this fic!

Questions and comments:

Kate: Yeah, I only found out what pumps were a few months ago…so you can see that I'm kinda obsessed with the word now J. Yeah, pumps are high-heeled shoes, closed-toe and sophisticated, the kind those professional businesswomen wear. J

Wicked Lady: Thank you so very much for reviewing this fic religiously, though Ami isn't your fave character. And even despite the fact that I torture you so much *wink*. 

Jessica: Well, all I'll say is that she'll meet the pilots all at once. And thanks; I appreciate it. J

~*~

                  The next morning couldn't have come quicker for me. I could barely sleep the night before because I was so nervous about my new job. Was I going to be good at it, or would I stink? Was I going to mess up and say something wrong, revealing that I wasn't whom I say I was? How about this Relena woman? Was she going to be a real dragon-lady or nice? Would she straddle me with all the work? See, from my estimations, Relena was about my age. And not many people my age were mature. But then again, if she was able to keep her job for so long, she must've been mature. Or maybe someone did all the work for her…Urgh! I was over thinking things as usual. I finally fell asleep somewhere around two in the morning. 

                  When my alarm rang at 7:30 AM, I shot up like a bullet. I got out of bed, and jumped into the shower. I brushed my teeth and combed my hair out. Then I went to the closet and picked out three suits. I had tried to decide which one to wear the night before, but I couldn't. One was sky blue, one was aquamarine and one was black. 

"Okay," I breathed. I laid out the three suits on the bed and performed my oldest, most trusted secret ritual. 

"Eenie, meenie, minee, mo. Catch a tiger by his toe…" I recited quietly, pointing on the three outfits alternately in the known fashion. In the end, it was the sky blue suit that won. I was happy because it was soft and silky and it had a risqué plunged neck that said sophisticated and sexy at the same time. I don't know how in Heaven Priscilla talked me into it. I dressed and pulled on a pair of blue heels. Then I looked at my hair. Now I was really missing my pixie cut. All I had to do before times was brush it and go. Now I had to spend something like five minutes just getting a decent style. I put my hair into a neat bun like I was showed yesterday, leaving a few tendrils down to frame my face. I ran some rose-colored lipstick I bought at a pharmacy down the road over my lips. 

                  Now looking at my reflection, I was now ready to go. I picked up my new little black purse and was heading out the door when I suddenly remembered something. 

"Damn!" I said softly. I had forgotten breakfast. I _never _forgot breakfast. I guess I'd have to settle for something along the way. 

~*~

                  The Foreign Affairs building was a modern structure. It's exterior seemed to be constructed from thousands of little mirrors that reflected the sunlight beautifully. It was about fifteen to twenty stories tall and widely spread out across the beautifully manicured lawns. Several flower trees were planted and their lovely blooms gave the otherwise daunting-looking building a welcoming appearance. 

                  I was finishing my cinni-bun when I stepped out of the cab, looking at this awe-inspiring building. This was where I was going to be working. Already, several people were making their way into the building. I paid the cab driver and walked into it myself. 

                  The inside of the building was elegantly designed. It had a subtle Asian touch to it, which made me feel a bit more comfortable. In the middle of the huge reception area was a large-enough fountain that reminded me of the one at the back of Rei's temple. Several potted trees were placed intermediately throughout the hall. I looked around, transfixed by the architecture before spying the receptionist's desk. I approached it confidently. Well, as confidently as I could, anyway. 

"Good morning," I said politely to the girl behind the desk. She was really pretty, blonde hair in curls rippling over her shoulders and wide green eyes framed by dark lashes. She smiled at me, revealing dimpled cheeks. 

"Good morning," she responded graciously. "I'm Gretchen, how may I help you?"

"I'm looking for Ms Relena Darlian/Peacecraft's office…" I was cut off by her understanding chuckle.

"Oh, you're her new personal assistant," she said, nodding. "You're going to love it here, I can assure you." Then Gretchen picked up a phone and dialed a number. "Yes, Ms Mizuno's here. Okay." She hung up and smiled at me. "Alright, the elevators are right over there on your left. It's the sixteenth floor."

"Thank you very much," I responded, grateful for her warm welcome. She still smiled at me, though it was quite genuine. 

"You're welcome. Have a good day," she said as I walked to the elevators.   
  


"You too," I called back and continued on. I stepped into on of the elevators, along with about five other people. 

"Hey, Ami!" a woman next to me said, startling me. I hadn't been here for ten minutes and someone already knew me. I turned to the voice and saw a chubby girl with auburn hair plait in two. Her face was round and freckled and her eyes were kind. "I'm Stacey, remember me?" I smiled, feigning recognition. So this was the famous Stacey. 

"Of course I do!" I replied, lying through my teeth. I shook her hand. 

"Nice clothes," she said admiringly. "It really suits you."

"Thanks," I said, flushing slightly. The rest of the ride was silent. The doors opened and we were the only ones who stepped out. These were Relena's offices. They resembled the reception area; only that it was more Asian-inspired and sunny. Stacey led my gently by my hand to a pair of pocket doors. 

"This is where the boss-lady works. I'll tell her you're here," she told me before going in and closing the doors behind her. A few seconds later, she came back out with a smile. "Go ahead." I took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth. I opened the doors and walked in.

                  Relena's office was elegantly and tastefully designed. The back of her cushioned office chair was facing the row of uncovered windows that took up a whole wall. From these windows the early morning sunlight streamed in gently. The main color here cream; cream wall to wall carpeting, cream wallpaper with silver fleur-de-lis painted on. In one corner, there was a cream couch with a matching armchair and a round, glass-topped table between them. I was looking around; my eyes getting used to tastefully designed rooms. 

"Ami?" a light voice caught my attention. I turned and came face to face with Ms Relena Darlian/Peacecraft. She was emerging from a side door that I figured housed the bathroom. She was drying her slender hands in a paper towel. 

"Hello, Ms Darlian/Peacecraft," I replied. She smiled, revealing perfect, white teeth. 

"Oh, please, call me Relena," she said kindly. Relena strode across the room to her desk. She was tall and slim, her long legs accentuated by a pair of black heels and a modestly short dusty pink colored skirt. She had on a white long-sleeved blouse that seemed to be made from silk or georgette or some like material. Relena seemed to be the picture of casual elegance. Her light blonde shoulder-length hair was cut into soft layers framing her heart-shaped face. She wore moderate amounts of jewelry; pearl stubs and a matching string of the white, round stones were around her neck. She pressed the intercom button. 

"Stacey? Yes, please hold my calls for the time being. Thank you," she looked up and me and clasped her hands. "You look lovely." She complimented me. I felt my cheeks redden. 

"Thank you," I said softly. She clapped her hands once and sighed. 

"Well, here we are. The Foreign Affairs Division. The work around here gets quite dull at times, but there's always something to do," she was watching me. "Shall I give you a tour?" I realized the question was directed at me instead of being idle chatter. 

"Sure," I answered. Relena strode across to another door. 

"The room here is your office. Come on, don't be afraid," she added with a slight chuckle. I walked over to where she was and she opened the door. 

My office was smaller than hers, as expected, but not by much. I also had a panoramic view of the city from behind my desk. It was modestly furnished with the standard desk and chair, also with an armchair in one corner and a little fridge in the corner. Everything in the room seemed new. The colors were a muted blue and white. It was beautiful. 

"Your bathroom is in here," Relena said, pointing to a door on my right. "The fridge is stocked with soda, juice, water, as well as some food. We might be pulling some late nights," she added with a wink. My heart lifted slightly. She said _we_, not _you_, when she talked about overtime work. This might not be so bad after all. 

"You have a door leading out to the main offices," Relena walked over to the said door and opened it. "Let's go." 

We walked around a bit as she showed my the different offices: Stacey's, the Public Relations Officer's, the Permanent Secretary's and some others. She also gave me a brief rundown of her responsibilities. She dealt with all the major problems concerning the outer space colonies. 

"There are more than two hundred space colonies at the moment," she explained while we walked down one of the corridors. "And not all of them get along with each other. There is also some tension between the Earth and her colonies, as the colonies tend to think we couldn't care less about them. This, of course, leads to the occasional revolts and wars. I have to be in constant contact with each of the colonial offices on a regular basis…" she trailed off and sighed. Then she glanced at me and smiled at my surprised expression. That was a lot of work if one thought about it. "Now you can see why I need the help. I won't straddle you with all the work; I do most of it myself. A _lot _of late nights." 

                  It also seemed I was wrong to refer to the building as belonging to the Foreign Affairs Department. There are about twenty floors, and the first eight belonged to various businesses such as banks, law firms, insurance companies and stock firms. 

"We just own most of the building seeing as we use the majority of the floors. It really belongs to an Italian firm, but we bought these floors from them. The other companies just rent them, as far as I know." We were now back in her office. My stomach was growling seeing as I only ate one lousy bun this morning. My watch told me it was ten minutes to noon. Relena saw my gesture and smiled. 

"I'm going to lunch now," she said. "Would you like to come with me? My treat." Too hungry to protest, even if I wanted to, I agreed. It turns out that there was a restaurant on the second floor named Colombo's. It was nicely designed, and I'll just leave it at that. We took a table close to a window, where we had a clear view the busy street below us. Relena ordered a chicken salad with some iced tea, while I took a cheese croissant and some coffee. 

"Are you sure you that will keep you for the afternoon?" she asked when she heard my order. 

"Yes," I lied. I didn't want to put her through any extra expense. She seemed to know my motive because she called back the waitress. 

"Giana, forget the croissant and bring her one of what I'm having," Relena shooed the waitress away before I could protest. Half an hour later, we were both halfway through our meal when Relena spoke again. 

"You know," she started solemnly, "I didn't just hire you because of your qualifications." Her blue eyes were quite serious as they locked onto me. "I read about your past, with your family dying in the Eve Wars and everything and I figured that you would understand my duties more than any of the other girls. They were just giggling…children, really, whose eyes just lit up at the opportunity to work at such a prestigious job. You, on the other hand, I figured would be more sensitive to the requirements of our jobs." I was speechless.

"Well, Ms…Relena…" I stammered out, when she held up a hand. 

"It's alright, you don't have to say anything," Relena said with a kind of sad smile. "I take it you know about my past?" when I nodded, she continued. "I also felt I could relate more to you, seeing as we have that little aspect in common." Her eyes strayed from me and to the window, but I felt she was doing more than admiring the scenery. "My brother, Miliardo, is my only living relative and I'm not even that close to him. I haven't talked to him since the Mariemaia Revolt. He's on Mars with his girlfriend Lucrezia Noin." Her eyes were full of emotion, and I could tell this was something that she didn't go around telling everyone she met. 

"I'm sorry, Relena," was all I could say at the time being. But I don't think she heard me. She still kept her eyes averted.  

"I hate war, really," she confessed, and I think I heard her voice tremble slightly. "It's senseless and ridiculous. So many lives lost needlessly, so many families ripped apart, friendships severed. Sisters fighting against their brothers and fathers fighting against their sons. So much unnecessary pain and suffering for what? Just so someone can prove a point? Just so a nation can show themselves to be stronger and better than the rest?" There was a tremor in her voice, but not from sadness. No, from anger and frustration. I've heard it so many times in my own. Suddenly, she looked back at me with a smile on her face. Her eyes were shiny and damp. "That's exactly why I preferred to be Vice Foreign Minister over Queen. Because in being Queen, I would be in the position many, many times to call a war. But as Vice Foreign Minister, I can help prevent it." Her speech touched me deeply. When I read about her past, I didn't stop and take the time to wonder what effect her sudden role-changes had on her. Well, I could see it now. She was a strong individual, really. 

"Well, enough of boring with my musings," she said with a slight laugh as she went into her bag to pay for the lunch. She pulled out a checkbook and started to write on one of the checks. "So…is…life." She said softly as she signed her name at the bottom. Then she called Giana over. 

Well, you won't have to wait long for the next chapter. It should be out this week. What did you think of Relena's little speech? Please let me know. 


	6. Chapter 6

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter: 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. Oh, and I don't own Ami's outfit later on in the fic either, that belongs to XOXO. 

                  You guys really know how to make a girl feel good. Seriously, I couldn't have asked for better reviewers and fans. I didn't expect people to really like this fic…(okay, I expected people to hate it.) and the fact that I consider Relena to be human, I thought that would've made it worse. But you guys just keep reviewing and reviewing. Really, in all my time in fanfiction writing, I've never had reviewers as kind and dedicated as you are. Thank you so very much, I'm touched. So this chapter and the next chapter are dedicated to you guys, because I know you've been waiting for this since forever. Thanks again. 

Yes, questions and comments time!

Crystal Dragon, Jessica, oldestof3, Amy, Wicked Lady and Kaiya: I'm really glad you liked the speech and my portrayal of Relena. I don't really like the excessive bashing of Relena; I think it makes a good story seem quite childish.

Kaiya: You _better _get it out soon!

Wicked Lady: Thanks for your compliment, though I'm sure you're exaggerating *winks*. I think I might have to torture you some more to show my appreciation. *Laughs*

Amy: *blushes* the story's not _that_ good…*blushes some more*

Oldestof3: Glad you loved the speech.

Jessica: I always vowed I'd never make Relena seem snobbish in a fic, or else I'd leave her out of it completely. She's not as crazy and spoilt as she's made out to be, clearly evident toward the end of the series and in Endless Waltz. 

Crystal Dragon: Okay, I will _never _forgive Relena for the stalking thing, especially when she read Heero's letter…how many times before delivering it to him? Well, so many times that she memorized it, but besides the point. Well, I figured that Ami and Relena would get along well, so…there it is.

Thanks again people! I love you guys! Oh, if I didn't answer your question or remark for last the chapter, sorry. It's probably because I was in the process of writing this chapter.  

This is a very long chapter….

~*~

                  Well, the past few weeks passed by so quickly. I adjusted quite easily to my new job; it wasn't as boring as Relena said it would be. In fact, things were heating up. 

"We have a problem on our hands," she said one day as we sat in Colombo's enjoying some iced tea during our break. 

"How big?" I asked, leaning forward slightly. Relena sighed and sipped her drink. 

"It's petty, really, but big enough to reach my office." She set down her glass. "There are these two neighboring colonies, LXI314 and WBX51. There's an abandoned colony right between them, unused for decades. Anyway, LXI314 decided to put it to good use and build a sort of resort colony on it. WBX51 is opposed to it; they say it will interfere with them, though I can't see how."

"Really petty," I agreed as she sipped her iced tea.

"Oh, it gets better," she said with a sarcastic laugh. "You see, the Alliance got wind of it and decided to stick their damned noses in." Yeah, she really liked the Alliance, huh? "It turns out that one of the Alliance members has the title deed, therefore, he, or more accurately, they're the only ones who can OK the project. So, LX decided to come to me and appeal their case. It's petty, but it's messy," Relena sighed and downed the rest of her drink in one gulp. She seemed stressed. I, on the other hand, was intrigued. 

"Are there any meetings scheduled?" I asked eagerly. She looked up at me and smiled. 

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she asked, amused. I shrugged.

"I want to really get in on some action," I answered simply. An old trait left over from my Sailor Scout days. 

"Well, Ami, you'll get it. And very soon too," she said with a laugh. I didn't realize the unintentionally ambiguous meaning her words held.

~*~

                  Later that night, I sat at a table facing the street in a restaurant named Roxanne.

"You'll love it!" Stacey told me that afternoon. "Everyone goes there. It's the coolest place out." She was right. Roxanne seemed to be where everyone went in the evening; students from the local high schools, workers, both office and manual and college kids. It was no surprise. The place was a combination of trendiness and sophistication. 

                  The night was calm and breezy; this street was particularly quieter than others, so it brought out the serenity of the night. For the past couple of weeks, I had been so wrapped up in my new life. I no longer was living in a hotel room; I found an apartment close to the Foreign Affair Division and was still in the process of settling in. I took care of the basic interior needs, but I was now shopping for things that would decorate and enhance my modest lodgings. 

                  I also went clothing hunting. My wardrobe no longer consisted of suits and basic clothing items. Nor were they as conservative as they usually are. 

"You don't have a pair of faded jeans?" Stacey had asked me in shock and horror earlier this week. I had mumbled a half-hearted explanation, but she would hear none of it. 

"Nope, nuh-uh. You are not ending this day without getting a pair of faded jeans." So, we took the rest of the day off, from our lunch hour onwards, that is, and went shopping. Only this time, we didn't hit Regina. Instead we went to the mall's trendiest shops. It turned out that I didn't go home with just faded jeans that night. Let's just say that we were straining under the weight of the many, many bags filled with my new clothes. 

                  This week, I also decided to be daring, so during my lunch hour, I went to the salon and did something with my hair. My blue tresses now fell in cascading waves and curls down my shoulders, stopping mid-back. My nails were also nicely manicured; now they had a nice white background a blue crescent moon painted on each nail. I picked up the cup of cappuccino with both hands and sipped slowly, deep in thought. 

I'd been so busy with adjusting and fitting in that I didn't give any thought to my real reason for being here. But I had the opportunity to now. When would I find my soul mate?

As I sat there, I pondered this. I looked around the restaurant and wondered:  could any one of these men here be the lucky someone? Thought of all the men I've seen since I came here, hundreds if one thought about it. I've gotten my fair share of stares, second glances and winks from both fine and not-so-fine guys. Had I missed my opportunity during my time here? Destiny had said it would be all up to me. Had I messed up big time? Had I missed out on my chance of pure happiness? I remembered what Destiny told me about our futures, the scouts and mine. The dark and despondent future that waited for me if I didn't find my soul mate. 

I suddenly felt tears springing to my eyes and I felt my heart heave. My soul felt empty and I wondered if this was how I was going to feel for the rest of my life. Before anyone could notice my present state, I got up and ran out of the restaurant. 

I spent the night crying my heart out.

~*~

The next morning, I was at work, early as usual, yet I wasn't feeling myself. I didn't put much care into my dressing that morning and my hair was in a messy bun. Stacey had tried several time to make conversation, none of which succeeded. I doubt I got any sleep the previous night, since I was otherwise occupied. But my predicament remained firmly on my mind. Okay, I couldn't believe I was acting this way over a guy. A guy I didn't even know. But then again, it wasn't just any guy; he was to be my soul mate. My very happiness and sanity depended on finding him. 

Relena, Kami bless her perceptive soul, realized something was wrong the moment she saw me. 

"What's up, Ami?" she asked me a few minutes after I came in. "You seem…not yourself?" I shrugged.

"Rough night, that's all," I replied softly. It wasn't a total lie, anyways. Though they still felt heavy and grainy, I didn't realize that my eyes were still swollen and slightly red from my 'rough night'. She locked her cerulean gaze on me.

"You miss it, don't you?" she asked softly. "Your former life and the people you know you won't be able to see again." I looked up quickly, shocked. I wondered if she had guessed my secret. But there was no accusatory tone in her voice. I don't think she knew how close she was to the truth. Then was when I realized that I wasn't just upset over my failure to secure my lover; I missed my old life. 

"Yes," I replied. 

"Homesickness, it's not a pleasant thing," she said softly. I don't know why, but I suddenly found myself crying again, sobbing quietly. I was vaguely aware of Relena leading me over to the couch. She sat me down and left me, returning a few seconds later with a glass of water. She sat down next to me and set the glass down on the table. She sat silently as I cried my frustration out. 

"Sorry," I said, my voice hoarse. I really felt silly crying in front of my boss. As nice as she was, I hardly knew her. She, however, shook her head.

"It's alright," she whispered. Relena reached for the glass and handed it to me. I felt her eyes on me as I drank the water in large, unrelenting gulps. 

"Thank you," I muttered, my eyes still averted. 

"You know," Relena started quietly. "I'm having a little get together at my house tonight. I'd really like it if you came," she said, her voice genuine. 

"I…I'm…I can't," I started, but she rested a hand on my shoulder. 

"Please," she said, quietly pleading. Somewhere inside me felt a wave of relief. I smiled at looked up at her.

"Why not?"

~*~

That night, I was in my bedroom dressing. I don't know why, but I took out all of my clothes and tried them on, looking for the best combination. And I found it. 

The top half of my outfit was a short-sleeved peasant top. It had a dark, patchwork look to it, pieces of little red flower fabrics and black squares with green diamond shaped bits and a shirred waistline. 

I wore a black faded skirt that reached mid-thigh. My shoes were black French, high-heeled slides. I put my hair back and held it with a simple black bow, a la Minako. I decided to try out make-up for once and put on some shimmery dark-blue eye shadow and light red lipstick. 

                  Once I was sure I was ready, I went downstairs and hailed a cab once again. I gave him the directions that Relena gave me and I sat back for the ride. The Sanq after hours was beautiful. Lights upon lights brightened the night and different styles of music filled the night air; from folk to hip-hop to rock. People strolled the streets, either for a moonlit walk or they were hurrying to one of the many nightclubs. I realized we were leaving the city and going up a hilly road. The houses here were larger and more elaborate, with large, well cared for gardens. 

                  Perched on top of one of these hills was a lone house of baroque architecture. There were lights lit both inside and out and cars were parked along the long, winding road that led up to it. From here, I could see there was

a good amount of people outside, so I could only imagine how crowded it was inside. 

'Little get together', she said. 

The cabby pulled up at the large, iron-wrought gates and I stepped out. Once again, I forked over a good amount of money and walked up to the gates. They were open, so I just walked in. The trees and hedges were well trimmed and fairy lights were strung from them. I saw people entering through a large, double door, so I followed them. 

                  The music was nothing compared to how it sounded outside once I stepped into the large vestibule. There were people standing together and laughing, dancing and drinking. Men in black suits were carrying champagne on trays and I took a glass as one passed by. I saw the source of the music to be a DJ on a large, makeshift stage in the middle of the room. Standing there at the top of the stairs, I felt so utterly out of place. People coming in after me looked around for a few moments before identifying friends. Everyone knew someone here. I knew no one. 

"Ami! So glad you made it!" a very familiar voice sounded below me. My eyes scanned the crowd and I saw Relena coming towards me. She shook the hands of several people along the way and hugged a few. She was dressed quite…differently from how I was used to seeing her. Her outfit consisted of a camel-colored halter-top that showed her mid-riff and a pair of khaki hipsters that flared and the legs and had slits coming up to the knee. Her hair was done into two teased buns at either side of her head with a wispy fringe

coming down over her forehead and her shoes were similar to mine. She finally reached me after a whole minute of wading through people and greeted me with a hug. 

"I thought you weren't going to make it," she whispered to me. I shrugged. 

"I needed something to do," I said casually. She took one of the champagne flutes as a waiter passed. We stayed up on the stairs for a while and made small talk. But I felt she was distracted and her eyes kept scanning the crowd. Oh, well, I thought. As if I actually expected her to spend the whole night with me. She was the hostess and I was just her personal assistant. I heard her gasp slightly and I saw her shiny lips curl into a smile. 

"They're here," she whispered to me. I was puzzled.

"Who?" I asked. She pointed a causal finger. 

"Those guys over there," I followed her inconspicuous finger to five guys standing over by one of the stucco columns. 

I think that was the first time my eyes came close to bugging out over members of opposite sex. If the others were here, they'd be going out of their minds by now. Why? Because I was fairly sure this was the first time I had seen several…physically exquisite guys all in one place, in real life. 

"Who are they?" I asked softly. She quirked a playful brow at me.

"Ever heard of the Gundam Pilots?" she asked. I gasped softly. _Those _were the Gundam pilots. They didn't look to be any older than Relena and myself. Okay, I admit, I really didn't think when I read those papers, because I wouldn't have been so surprised if I had given thought to the fact they were described as boys. Relena giggled slightly beside me, I guess at my spazzed out expression. She led my to the left, so we could get a clearer view of them.

"Okay, you see that guy on the cell phone?" she said nodding in their direction. I looked and saw whom she was referring to. He seemed to be deep in conversation. His sky blue eyes, which seemed usually kind, were hard and he ran a frustrated hand through his platinum hair. "That's Quatre Winner, CEO of Winner Corp. His father left it to him after he died in the Eve Wars. He was pilot of the Gundam Sandrock. Now, he's a really nice guy, but you really don't want to go pissing him off. Very traumatizing." I nodded blindly. 

"The Chinese guy glowering at everyone, he's Chang Wufei, the only surviving member of his clan, pilot of the Gundam Shenlong," she sighed. "I swear to God the scientist he was working with forgot to remove the anal probe he put up his ass," she whispered to herself. I heard anyways, and I had to laugh. Looking at Wufei, it was easy to believe. His shoulder length hair was pulled back into a very tight looking ponytail and his dark eyes were severe. "He has an immense…dislike towards women. Don't, I repeat, don't do anything to piss him. When he opens his mouth to curse something or someone…it ain't pretty." Relena now led me further to the left. 

"The guy with the gravity defying hair is Trowa Barton. He's the oldest out of the whole lot, I think. Also one of the most perplexing. Nobody ever knows what he's thinking, as he never shows emotion, hardly ever talks. He piloted the Gundam Heavyarms." I watched as Gretchen, the receptionist from earlier on, tried to make conversation with him. He seemed to be totally ignoring her. His brown hair was pulled down into a bang covering one of his emerald green eyes. He was tall and lithe looking. Probably into acrobatics. I asked Relena about that. "Yeah, he's a circus performer, works with his sister Catherine Bloom. He's the most serious clown you'll ever see." And now Relena led new down the stairs until we were at the foot of them. She positioned herself so she was facing two guys at one of the large windows. 

"Those two guys over there talking," I saw her referring to them. "Are the craziest, most psychopathic people you'll ever have the privilege of meeting." She sounded quite serious, yet almost amused when she said that. I looked over at them. One was talking while the other just nodded and grunted in response. "The one that seems to have no control over his mouth, that's Duo Maxwell, aka Shinigami."

"Shinigami?" I asked, making my first comment in a while. "The God of Death?" I translated, incredulous. 

"Told you they were psycho. Yeah, Duo. He piloted the Gundam Deathsycthe Hell." I looked at this 'Shinigami'. He looked to be about Relena's height, maybe taller. His brown hair was gathered into a ridiculously long braid that skimmed his waist. His wide violet eyes were full of life and mischief and a lopsided grin was plastered onto his face, making him seem even…okay, here goes…more attractive. "He's majoring in Theology over at the Sanq University. Ladies beware; the guy's a player." I had to smile at the irony of that statement. A Casanova priest. I never heard worse. "He is also number one on Wufei's hit list…" Relena added slowly. I frowned. 

"What?" I asked. She nodded. 

"See that thin scar running along his neck?" she asked. I looked and sure enough, there was a light scar running from his jaw line to his collarbone. I nodded. "That was the end result of Duo putting pink hair dye into Wufei's shampoo…" I blinked once, twice, three times. 

"Okay…" I nodded. 

"And that guy next to him was the pilot of Wing Zero. Heero Yuy," she said, suddenly breathless. I looked up at her and she wore a slightly dreamy look. "He's the best pilot the world has ever seen, ever will see. The way he moves, so agile and light. No wonder." She whispered, again to herself. "He's so confusing. You can never see what he's feeling register on his face. However, if you look into his eyes…" she trailed off, and I realized she had been looking at him. He was…beautiful. His chocolate brown hair was tousled and untamed, some of it falling over his intense Prussian eyes. He was tall and well built, though his body looked like it was as flexible as a sapling. He wore a scowl on his face that contorted his face, but he still looked way above average appearance. Imagine if he smiled…

"Come on, Ami…" Relena's urging brought me back to earth. I realized that she was trying to drag me further into the crowd. I also realized I was staring at the Wing Zero pilot. 

"What?" I asked, totally clueless.

"Come on. Don't you want me to introduce you to them?" 

Ha! I didn't say anything about no more cliffhangers, did I?  


	7. Chapter 7

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing, their universes or their characters. However, I do own Destiny, Gretchen and Stacey. I claim Stacey and Gretchen because I've used them in more than one chapter. Destiny…I have plans for her in other fics…

You know what my favorite shape is? A triangle. I don't know why, but I just love them. There are so many different types of triangles. Large triangles, small triangles, love triangles, musical triangles, colorful triangles…the list just goes on and on. 

Questions!

Megami*Silence: *sobbing* I'm not evil! Everyone tells me I'm evil but I'm not! I'm a nice little innocent girl! So what if I love to torture people? I'm still innocent…*sniff* Hey, what's up, girl? Imagine if he _did _smile…let's just say wait for me. 

Kaiya: I'll accept the glomp, thank you very much. Yes, I enjoy writing this playful side to Relena…it's gets even better in this chapter *wink*

Minimerc: Well, it's true! I love Wuffie, I really do, it's just that he's so uptight…of course that's good for demented fanfic author like me… *remembers Megami's message*…I mean good little girls like me…yeah…

Dragon Lady: Well, you obviously won't have to wait long

Za Kaze no Nisou: Yeah…it gives a feeling of suspense, huh? This is how I think Relena would act, so that's how I'm portraying her. 

Jessica: Well, it's true, people just don't see it that way for whatever reason…so, you think you know, huh? *Giggles*

DigitalAngel4U: I don't dig the Relena bashing bit, so I don't write it. Quite interested to see whom I'll pair Ami with, huh?

Mercury Ice Storm: Cause I love torturing you people! Uh, I mean…I felt like it…yeah…Oh, I started the first chapter of your story, but I had to get off the computer, then I couldn't find it again…what's the name of it again? So far so good, by the way.

Amanda: Well, it kept you coming back for more…so that works for me *winks* Thanks for the compliment. 

Julie: Thank you, I'm glad that you liked the last chapter, but I think you'll love this one even more…you're in for a real treat. 

Wicked Lady: Hehe! I was actually considering not posting this chapter until you reviewed…*laughs* I'm sending you insane…er? Aw, thanks for telling me…*remembers*…Uh, I mean not that I'm getting actual pleasure out of this…*curses Megami and her evilness*…Well, dear, I think you'll actually _love_ this chapter…*wink*

 ~*~

"Introduce me?" I asked, still shell-shocked. We were walking over to the five pilots at full pace, meandering through groups of people. Relena nodded, her large silver hoops dancing crazily. 

"Uh huh," she said, smiling mysteriously. "That's why I brought you here in the first place, to hook you up with someone." If it was possible, this little revelation shocked me even more. Relena, my boss for…little over a month, was trying to play matchmaker for me. You could've knocked me over with a feather. 

"Um, it's quite alright, Relena, really," I tried to get myself out of this potentially embarrassing situation, but her grip was vise-like around my wrist. Swinging her hips to the hip-hop music blasting through the speakers, Relena led me over to Quatre. He was still on his celly, and not looking particularly happy. She stood in front of him and waited for Quatre to notice her. 

"What's up?" she asked him when he excused himself from his phone call. He rolled his eyes and sighed. 

"Damned people can't do a single thing right," he replied. Relena laughed. 

"I understand. Quatre, this is my new personal assistant, Ami Mizuno. Ami, this is Quatre." Relena said innocently enough, yet I could hear her voice laced with hopefulness. Quatre looked over in my direction and smiled. 

"Hey, Ami, what's up?" he asked me and held out a hand. I took it. His hand was soft and warm and his grip was gentle.

"Fine," I answered. He smiled at me again and turned to Relena. 

"Sorry, Relena, I have to take this call…" he said apologetically. Relena shook her head nonchalantly. 

"It's okay, do what you have to do," she answered. He nodded at me before going back to his call. I could hear him mention some not-so-nice Arabic words to the person on the other end of the line as we walked away. I felt my heart flutter. So…Relena was now leading me to the Shenlong pilot. My heart fluttered even more, just not in an excited sort of way. 

"Wufei," she said in a sugary-sweet voice. She had an iceberg-melting smile on. However, this didn't lessen Wufei's glower as he turned to face us. "How's life?" he grunted. 

"It would've been a lot better if you didn't drag me to this Kami-forsaken place," he muttered angrily. Relena still smiled and I fought to suppress a laugh. 

"Well, I want you to meet someone," she continued in her persuasive voice. "Wufei, this is Ami. Ami, meet Wufei." Relena pulled me from behind up next to her. "She's my new personal assistant." He looked me over in a scrutinizing way. 

"Hi," I managed to choke out with a half-hearted wave. Wufei rolled his eyes and looked away from us. Relena rolled her own eyes and led me away. 

"Oh, don't worry," she told me when we were out of earshot. "We caught him in a good mood." Why wasn't I surprised? We now walked over to Trowa and Gretchen. Gretchen, dressed in a beautiful green, linen dress looked utterly frustrated at Trowa's unwillingness to participate in a conversation. I think she was scanning the crowd to see if there was anyone else she could talk to. She smiled when she saw us approaching. 

"Hi!" she waved at us madly, her bracelets jangling. If I didn't know any better, I would say Trowa gave Relena an almost grateful glance. Relena smiled at the two of them. 

"Good night," she said. "How are you enjoying it?" Gretchen forced a smile. 

"Just lovely," she replied. Relena looked over at Trowa. 

"I haven't seen you in a while." Trowa just shrugged coolly. 

"Been busy," he said quietly. He didn't elaborate. Relena really wasn't kidding. 

"Well, Trowa, I want you to meet my personal assistant, Ami Mizuno. Ami, this is Trowa," she introduced us. Trowa gave me the slightest of nods; if it weren't for my heightened eyesight, I doubt I would've seen it. I gave a smile. 

"Well, enjoy it," Relena said, and with a wave, we left them. We were now heading over to the two brown haired guys by the window going by the names Heero and Duo. Duo was the first to notice us. He nudged Heero and smiled. 

"Night, you two!" Relena said cheerfully. She walked up to Duo and the two shared a warm embrace. Then Duo pulled away and held Relena away from him. He looked her up and down, before spinning her around to get another view. 

"Looking real nice, aren't we," he complimented with a smile. Relena laughed back. 

"I try," she said with mock-modesty. She then looked over at Heero and their gazes locked for a few moments before he shifted his eyes slightly. It was so inconspicuous; I doubt even Duo noticed it. She smiled again and looked back at me. "I have a new friend I want the two of you to meet."

"Night," I said and fluttered my fingers at them slightly. 

"Guys, this is Ami, my new personal assistant," she said for the…umpteenth time that night. Duo stuck out his hand immediately. 

"Any friend of 'Lena's is a friend of mine," he told me as I shook it. I looked up into his violet eyes and they seemed to smile at me. 

"Charmed," I replied. I then looked over at Heero. I don't know, but I just felt his eyes on me. Sure enough, when I glanced his way, they were focused on yours truly. His face was still stony yet there was something there…I couldn't put my finger on it. Anyway, it disappeared from his face almost immediately. I was intrigued, determined to find out what this emotion was. I looked into his eyes. 

            My breath caught in my throat. If his eyes were intense from all the way over by the stairs, they were absolutely powerful now. His eyes reminded me of the ocean, not only in color, but also in their turbulence and shiftiness. I felt myself slowly drowning in them, yet I couldn't tear my gaze away. I could feel them melting my own azure orbs, and it was the singularly most extreme feeling I can ever remember experiencing. As I kept my eyes on him, I also noticed they held another characteristic with the ocean: beneath their deep blue depths, there were secrets, things buried below. I wondered what they were while we had this little staring competition. 

"Isn't that right, Ami?" Once again, Relena's voice dragged me reluctantly back to reality. 

"Huh?" I asked, totally bemused. Relena frowned slightly.

"I was telling Duo that he's probably the most gorgeous guy here tonight. Am I not telling the truth?" She looked at me. I looked back at her and saw her smug, self-satisfied smile. In my mind I called her something I wouldn't have said to her face. She was really serious about this matchmaker job, huh?

"Well," I said, putting on a purposely coy voice. "I haven't really looked around that much, so I couldn't really say; it wouldn't be a fair judgment." I smiled at Relena's defeated expression. She gave me a 'you win this time' look. Duo, on the other hand, was impressed. 

"Thought you had her there, huh, Relena?" he asked with mirth in his voice. Relena gave a fake pout. I realized someone wasn't participating in the conversation. I turned to where Heero was standing. 

He was gone. I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. 

"Shall I get you ladies something to drink?" Duo asked and I turned back to him. 

"Yes, please," Relena and I both answered. "Make mine a coke." Relena said. I nodded in agreement. 

"Don't move, I'll be right back," Duo said and walked off in the direction of the bar—not before throwing a wink in my direction, though. 

~*~

An hour after meeting Heero and Duo, I was outside, alone. I leaned on the balcony's cool, marble wall and sipped my coke. Relena and Duo were inside talking and Heero hadn't returned. The atmosphere inside was kind of overwhelming, so I decided to take a breather. 

It was full moon that night.

I found my mind going back to my other four friends and I wondered what they were doing. I missed them sorely, I honestly did. I could only imagine what they would be doing if they were here. I sipped my coke again and watched the moon rise slowly. It was a clear, cloudless night so I could watch its progress uninterrupted. I thought back to the Moon Kingdom and the happy times before it's destruction. There were dances like this, where all the Lunarians, as well as people from the other planets would attend. Michiru and Haruka would be playing, no doubt, taking us away to another universe as we danced. I could almost hear the melodious strains from her violin and the gentle tinkling from Haruka's piano. 

We would be on the dance floor of course. Or more accurately, the other scouts would be. I would be sitting at a table, watching them as they danced. They were so light, so graceful, almost like feathers. They had a dance they would perform and everyone would stop dancing to watch. 

They held hands high in the air and danced in a slowly rotating motion. They would then part and perform a series of twirls that were further accentuated by the swishing and twirling of their skirts they held while dancing. And then she would step into the middle of their little ring. Serena was the best dancer in the Moon Kingdom. When she danced, it was like watching an angel floating by. She was dressed in pure white, her hair cascading around her and she moved elegantly in time with the music. The other girls would still be dancing around her, moving their skirts as they were before, but Serena was the most beautiful, going on her toes, spinning and twirling. And as they danced, you could feel a wave of happiness and love wash over you gently. 

They always begged me to join, but I never would. I never felt I could move as gracefully and as poised as they could. Yet, I never tried it. I took another sip of my coke and sighed. I really did miss them.  

"Hey Ames," I cheerful and surprisingly familiar voice called out to me. "What's a beautiful girl like you doing out here all alone?" I knew who it was, so I didn't turn. I did, however, blush and lower my head at his comment. Duo came up next to me and leaned his back against the marble wall. "Well?" I shrugged.

"The moon out here is so beautiful, I just had to come and see it," I answered. Duo turned so he was facing the object of my attention. 

"It is, isn't it?" he sighed. We stood like that for a while and I was very aware of him there; his cologne smelt so musky and sweet, his eyes so focused and bright. A few thin strands of his hair blew in the gentle breeze and I watched them quietly. He turned suddenly to me, a smile on his face. 

"Do you want to dance?" he asked. I laughed and shook my head.

"No, heavens no," I said. "I can't dance." Duo gave me a mischievous, lopsided grin. 

"I'll be the judge of that," he winked at me again, and took my hand. For the second time tonight, I was being led. This time, however, I was protesting all the way. 

"No, Duo, I'll step on your feet…I can't dance to save my life…please let me make you remember me as Relena's personal assistant and not the girl you regret dancing with…" Oh, well, at least I tried. We were now in the middle of the dance floor. Duo's eyes were gleaming. "I can't dance." I repeated with slight exasperation. He just shrugged. 

"Go where the music takes you," that was all he said. At first it was awkward; this was my first time dancing and all, but I slowly got into it. Soon, I was enjoying myself immensely; a few times, Duo and I joined hands and he spun me out and back in before dipping me. We were both laughing hard. This was the most fun I'd had since I went to university. 

Then, that fragile confidence which took about five songs to build up now came crashing. I heard the first strains of a slow but Latin-tuned song playing. I knew this would require some actual dancing skills.

"Duo," I stood on my toes and whispered into his ear. "I don't know how to dance to this." He looked down on me and smiled. 

"Just let me lead you and listen to what I tell you," he whispered back. My eyes widened. What? Was he going to teach me how to dance on the actual dance floor? That seemed to be the case, because he slid a hand around my waist and turned my back to him. Then he pulled me so close to him, we were touching. My breathing was becoming erratic. This was the first time I had been so close to a guy. 

"Okay, just move with me," he whispered in my ear, his breath tickling the side of my neck. This, of course, caused my heart rate to quicken. But guess what? I listened to him. He was moving his hips in a slow, circular motion, and I followed. I was very aware of his arm around my waist and his other hand gently holding mine. So, here I was trying to regulate my breathing, when he whispered to me again. 

"I'm going to spin you out, then back in. When you come back in, stay facing me," I nodded and he did exactly what he said he would do. I said a silent prayer of thank you, grateful that I didn't wear my long, loose skirt. I don't want to know where that would've been right now. I felt myself being spun back in. I would've crashed into him if Duo didn't catch my waist in time. We were touching once again. By instinct, I put my hand on his shoulder. He held my other hand out a la waltz style. 

"Listen, carefully," he now advised. "take two steps back and then two forward. Keep doing that." I did as I was told, a first moving stiffly like I was really stepping backwards, but I soon fell into rhythm with Duo. I realized I was getting the hang of this. I gave a small, shaky smile. 

"You're doing well," he assured me. My confidence was building back up. I also took this opportunity to look around. Relena was standing by Heero at the foot of the stairs. She whispered something to him. Heero looked down at her and gave a response. Relena looked back up at him with a frown. She said something, but Heero didn't answer this time. Instead he went back to what he was doing before she told him whatever. Looking at me and Duo dance. 

By now, I was swinging my hips to the music, feeling quite relaxed. I looked up and Duo and looked back at me. We shared a smile.

"I thought you said you couldn't dance," he whispered. I laughed. 

"Well, you just exposed me for the fraud I am," I replied. He laughed. We were now taking three steps forward, three steps back, as the music's tempo had sped up. Both of my hands were on his shoulders while Duo's hands were now on my hips, but I didn't feel uncomfortable about it. It felt…natural. I didn't need him to tell me what to do now, I was just following him. It also seemed like I knew what he wanted to do before he told me; that was why he stopped giving instructions. He spun me out again and we resumed our two/three-step. 

"I want to spin you out again, but this time, keep spinning around and around me. I'll hold you," he reassured me. I smiled, all too happy to oblige. I was spun out, and I kept up the pace. Around, around, around I went. I could feel my hair flying against my face. And Duo held my hand firmly enough to stop me from spinning out of control, but gently enough to allow me flexibility. As I heard the song slowly stop, I stopped spinning. Big mistake. I hadn't realized it, but I was wonderfully and incredibly dizzy now. With a little squeal I felt myself going down as soon as I stopped. 

Luckily, Duo caught me just in time. I was falling backwards into him at the time, so he kind of side-stepped and caught me around the waist, so it looked like we were doing a dip as our finale. I heard laughter and realized it was mine mixed with his. He pulled me upright. 

"Enjoying yourself, dancing queen?" he asked through his laughter. His blue dress shirt was opened slightly at the collar and I could see the perspiration running down his neck. I guess I was sweating too, because everywhere felt damp. I giggled.

"Uh-huh," I looked up into his violet eyes and felt almost lost for a second. They were beautiful. I found myself thinking of Hotaru's amethyst necklace as I gazed into their depths.

"Your eyes are quite beautiful themselves," He said suddenly. He realized what I had been doing. Duo smiled at what I guessed to be my famous blush. "Don't worry, you're not the first girl to fall prey to their sparkling charm," he said in mock-haughtiness. I laughed and elbowed him playfully. 

"Do you want to dance some more?" I heard myself asking. I was surprised at my boldness. Duo's grin grew even wider.

"Of course," he agreed and took my hand. 

I had a very good mind to leave this chapter off at the balcony scene, before Duo came to her, but I decided to be nice…for once. Sorry, but it's like two in the morning and sleep is killing me. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 7

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter: 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon; they belong to their respective companies. Thank you.

                  Okay, I know I'm updating faster than Vin Diesel in Fast and the Furious (he is _so _fine!), but that doesn't mean I was just bluffing when I made that little announcement in Chapter 4. I just want to get out these chapters before I really have to cut back on the updating. Once again, I will _not _be abandoning this fic. Not on my life (besides, I know some of you will kill me if I did…you guys know who you are…) Actually, this may be my last chapter for a while. 

Questions and comments time…

Wicked Lady: Yeah…it gets interesting from here on out…glad it could make your day…Jenna.

Mercury Ice Storm: Yeah, thanks, I'll be checking it out soon.

Jessica: Thank you. Yeah…it took all my willpower not to make it into a cliffhanger…though my willpower can't hold out for long…*evil grin*

Hope129: *shrugs* Well, it was my first time writing in first person and I never really focused on Ami before…I thought I'd muck it up, really, cause I just thought about it like the night before, I didn't really plan it out like I usually do. But Ami's fun to work with. 

Megami*Silence: Evil? Me? Nuh-uh, you have me confused with someone else…as for the curses, anytime, dear, anytime…oh, and thanks for the little cheese rant, you'll see why. Though I must wonder…are you alright? *sniffs* You don't email me anymore…*pouts*

Kaiya: Well, those other 'quiet, innocent' people are just pretenders. I'm the real deal!

Dragon Lady: Yeah, I enjoyed writing that chapter, believe it or not, the wait before I could write that chapter was as stressing on me as it was on you guys. I even got up and started to try out the moves so I could describe them accurately. Yes, that was Wufei in a good mood. If he wasn't in a good mood, he would've been swearing up a storm by now…

Kate: Good question, really, cause I'm not too sure about that…I'll have to see, though because I think I have an idea *wink*

Amy: Who will it be, indeed…hm. Thanks for the compliment.

Midnight Angel: Thank you so very much…yeah, Ami/Duo interactions are quite fun to write, if you want to know the truth. 

Thank you again for reviewing! And thanks for reading this fic thus far.  

~*~

                  It was one in the morning and the party was still swinging. But I wasn't on the dance floor. I was back at the balcony, looking at the moon in the sky. Yet, I wasn't alone this time. I was sitting on the wall, my legs dangling above the hedges below, while Duo was leaning next to me. We each had a flute of champagne in our hand. 

"Is the moon really made from Swiss cheese?" Duo asked suddenly. I giggled at the absurdity of his statement, yet the mock-seriousness of his tone. 

"What?" I asked. Just had to make sure that's what he really said. 

"No, seriously," he said. He waved a hand at the moon. "Look at it, it's not that hard to believe." I followed his gaze and tipped my head to one side. It really did look like it could be made from Swiss cheese…but then again, I think I was feeling slightly tipsy from the mixture of coke and champagne…

"Yeah…" I agreed with some measure of seriousness. "All that crap they taught us in school about the moon being made from rock…" I shook my head. "Nonsense." Duo nodded in agreement. 

"It's just this big…what's the word…?" he said, waving his hand idly, trying to remember. I shrugged.

"Gouda?" I supplied.

"Yeah, that's it," he nodded. "Yeah, this big Gouda of Swiss cheese." I threw back my head and laughed really hard. 

"So, what about the other planets?" I asked, and sipped my champagne. Duo squinted up at the sky.

"Well, let's see…Venus is…" he tipped his head to one side, obviously thinking of the most ridiculous thing he could imagine. "One of those Hostess vanilla cream cakes." We both cracked up. 

"Yeah…Mars is a…a helluva big cherry," I said off the top of my head. Duo nodded in agreement. 

"Jupiter is…" Duo started, then stopped. We both looked up into the sky for this one, trying to think of food to describe this planet. He snapped his fingers.

"One of those big lollipops that take a whole day to eat," he said excitedly. I nodded while giggling.

"Yeah, the ones with all the colors swirled around the place," I backed up. This was quite fun, though very senseless. But that's what made it fun, no? For the next few minutes, we went through all the different planets; Neptune was described as a blue jawbreaker, while Saturn was a round ball of frozen milk while its rings were rotating circles of sugar, among others.

"Aren't we forgetting one?" Duo asked as I declared us finished. I thought a while before shaking my head. 

"No, I don't think so," I replied. Duo frowned, then laughed.

"Oh, yeah, Mercury!" he said triumphantly. My heart went slightly cold. How could I forget my planet? What did this mean?

"Oh, yeah," I said weakly and took a long sip from my glass. Duo followed suit. 

"Hmm…" he said thoughtfully as we drank.  "What do you suppose Mercury is made from?" I didn't think, I just answered. 

"A big ball of ice," I said softly. I was looking at my planet right now. It was very hard to see; yet I always found it. Duo looked me strangely. 

"Don't you think it would melt, being so close to the sun?" he asked. I shrugged. "Nah," he shook his head. "It's more like a big marshmallow." I laughed. 

"Marshmallows are smooth, Duo. My planet is all pitted," I blanched and stopped short; I realized I made a very serious mistake, describing Mercury as my planet. I was no doubt thinking I was still in my old dimension. I looked up at Duo and he was staring at me strangely. Oh, God, I was so busted. 

"I understand," he said softly, his eyes not leaving me. My heart was seriously pounding in my chest. How could I make such an error? 

"You're Virgo, aren't you?" he said. I blinked once before it sunk in. I laughed nervously. He was talking about my star sign. 

"Yeah, I am," I answered, my heart slowly returning to its normal rate. A very close call. I must stop drinking the champagne. Duo's violet eyes stayed on me for a few more moments before going back to the sky. 

"Smooth, you say…" he muttered. "Okay, a round marshmallow that has been…nibbled at by a…bored four-year old." He concluded grandly with a grin. I laughed. That was a very…different way of hearing my planet being described. 

"Yeah…and the sun's a big…open fire that it's roasting on," I ended off. We looked at each other and laughed. "Oh, God, I can't believe I'm having this conversation…" Duo cocked his head. 

"Why?" he asked, slightly confused. Or at least he pretended to be. I shrugged.

"It's quite…" I trailed off at looked away from him up at the moon.

"Ridiculous?" he filled in. I looked back at him and laughed. 

"Yeah," I shrugged. "I don't usually have 'ridiculous' conversations." Duo shrugged back and sipped from his glass. 

"There's a first time for everything," he said softly, his violet eyes focused on me. They were so bright and so beautiful. We looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds before I blinked and looked down, smiling. 

"I guess there is."

~*~

                  That night, or rather morning, I couldn't sleep. My mind was still reeling. I had gotten home about two hours ago and here I was in my bed like some lovesick teenager. 

I think sometime tonight, I don't really know when, I realized I liked Duo. He was unlike any guy I had ever met. He was charming and funny and when he gave that lopsided grin of his, my heart would literally skip a beat. 

Duo, Duo, Duo… I said the name over and over again in my mind and smiled. He wasn't bad looking either. I giggled at that thought. Now, where did _that_ come from? Then again, it was a fact. And how he seemed to make me do things that I won't necessarily do. Like that conversation…

"Is the moon made of Swiss cheese?" I muttered then laughed. I turned over so I was on my back. Was this love? I sighed, but in a contented way. If it was, I wouldn't mind feeling like this for the rest of my life.

_'…look into his eyes…'_ Relena's voice floated by briefly, but something remained. A pair of Prussian blue eyes implanted themselves into my mind.  Heero. The bear thought of his name took my breath away. Those eyes…now so vividly emblazoned made my heart almost fail to beat. I remembered the feelings I experienced while looking into them…not the giddy feelings that usually accompany me while thinking of Duo. I couldn't describe it…just…drowning…slowly…

I tried to sleep from that point onward, but all that came to me were a pair of deep blue eyes. 

Thank God it was a Friday…or more accurately Saturday.

~*~

                  Monday morning, bright and early, I came to work. I was wearing a white linen suit and my hair was spilled down over my shoulders in curls and on my feet were a pair of my blue pumps. I smiled at Gretchen as I passed her and went up in the elevator. Once on the sixteenth floor, I stepped out and saw Stacey. 

"Hey, Ami, what's up?" she said brightly, though she sounded a bit nasal. 

"Nothing," I replied. "Are you okay?" she nodded and laughed, only to have it cut short by a series of hacking coughs. 

"Yeah, just fine. As fine as you can be with a cold, but hey," she shrugged.

"Hope you feel better," I said sympathetically. She smiled and nodded and then went back to what she was doing. I walked in the direction of my office, when she called me back. 

"Oh, Ames," I looked back. "In case you miss it, there's something on your desk…" she trailed off and gave me a mysterious smile. I frowned and walked on back to my office, wanting to see what this 'something' was. I unlocked the door and walked in. 

On my desk, no missing it, was a single white rose. 

I gasped softly and walked over to it slowly, putting my purse and briefcase on the armchair. It was snowy white and immaculate, and in short, just beautiful. Its large white head sat elegantly on a slender, almost straight stem, free from any thorns with two large, perfectly green leaves mid-way down. I picked it up lightly and smelt it, it's perfume tantalizing me. Pulling it back from my nose, I noticed it had a small card on it, plain and white. I opened it and read the small, neat script. 

My eyes widened and I re-read it for extra measure. This was quite honestly the most beautiful thing I ever had written to me. It simply said this:

Other men said they have seen angels,  
But I have seen thee  
And thou art enough.

And it was unsigned.

Ciaocito, baby!!!


	9. Chapter 9

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter: 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and Sailor Moon. I don't own the Hostess Company either. That quote at the end of the last chapter was from a G. Moore…

For once, I have nothing to say…shocking, isn't it…Yes, well, once again; I must thank you everyone for reading and those who reviewed. I still say I couldn't have asked for better reviewers. Oh, and this is really going to be my last chapter for a while.

Questions and comments!

Wicked Lady: Okay, you liked it. Yeah, I know your name, but not going to tell you how…what if I _am_ an alien stalker from Mars and all that jazz? I'll just ruin the surprise…Okay, we have Duo who is so damn fine, funny, nice, all that…then we have Heero, who is…_Heero_. Sorry, right, but I've been having a love affair with Heero for the past two years now…oops, I said it…Don't kill me, Hee-chan!

IL195: Uh…well, we'll have to see about that, huh? *Wink*

Jessica: Who is it from indeed? I'm sweet and innocent, and that's that. Hmph! *Eyes start glowing red*

Minimerc: Yeah, my ex and I have had the strangest conversations…Duo and Ami's real cute, no? It's fun to write, I know that much. Heero doesn't have beautiful eyes…Heero has _exquisite _eyes…My God! Dark blue is now my fave color because of Heero! Pools of Prussian…I'm gonna make good use of this phrase…*winks* thanks!

Dragon Lady: I know, That's why I left it off like that…that and for the joy of being evil…uh…romantic, yeah, romantic.

Kaiya: You and me both, girl…you and me both! *Mental note to self, never abandon fic that Kaiya likes…she's a pretender* *smiles*

Amanda: *smile* Keep reading, and you'll see, hon.

Silver Star: Yeah, she's cool, isn't she? Ami's never been my fave scout, not even ranked as one of them, but during the course of this fic, I find I'm beginning to get attached to her. 

Za Kaze no Nisou: Thank you! As a matter a fact, I'm thinking…maybe I'll do another one…I'm not sure.

Crystal Dragon: Yeah, thanks for bringing that up. I wanted it to seem like she was changing, but still maintaining her personality. It's sweet, isn't it? *Sigh* too bad I'm not writing from experience…guys down here are so not sweet…

~*~

                  I looked all over the card for a signature but I still couldn't find one. And I didn't know the handwriting. It _was _handwritten, in shiny black ink that sparkled in the sunlight. I read it again and felt a strange sensation come over me…something warm and…God help me…fuzzy. I was quite speechless. 

"Stacey said you'd be in here," Relena stuck her head in from behind the door before walking in. She was back to her sophisticated way of dressing; today she was in a pale yellow pantsuit and her hair was tied into a neat bun. 

You know how they say someone's eyes light up when they see or hear something they like or find beautiful? Like literally? I'd never seen that really happen, not even when Serena spied a piece of cheesecake. Well, I hadn't seen it before today, because when Relena's eyes rested on my white rose, her eyes seemed to suddenly illuminate from beneath their blue depths. 

"Oh…my…GOD!" she squealed. I blushed. 

"It came this morning," I said simply with a shrug. Relena was at my side in a flash. I handed it to her and she read the note. 

"Aw…" she sighed and then giggled. "Who's it from?" I shrugged again. 

"It doesn't say," Relena followed my earlier actions by searching for a name, all the while quite careful not to damage my precious gift. She too was unsuccessful. "I don't know the handwriting…" she muttered to herself. Then she looked up, smiling. "You don't know how enviable you are."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Relena gaped at me. 

"Oh, what girl wouldn't want a white rose to be left on her desk with sweet poetry attached to it?" she sighed. "God, 'Other men said they have seen angels, but I have seen thee, and thou art enough.' Oh!" She sighed again. I saw her gaze longingly at it, lost in her own world. I then remembered a question that had been weighing on my mind since Friday night.

"Is Heero your boyfriend?" I asked before I could stop myself. Relena looked up quickly and stared at me with a slight frown. I mentally slapped myself for asking such a ridiculously personal question. "I'm sorry…" I started immediately, but I was cut off by a laugh. Relena threw back her head and started to chortle heavily as if I said the funniest thing ever. It sounded a bit hollow, if you want the truth. 

"Oh, no, no, I wish!" she exclaimed, waving her hand. "Nah…" she stopped laughing and stared at the rose again, just for a few moments this time, because she suddenly gasped. She turned to me, her eyes gleaming. 

"Do you know who it may be?" she asked rhetorically, her voice trembling with suppressed excitement. I shook my head, clueless. She giggled again.

"DUO!" she shouted gleefully. Relena started to pace. "The two of you got along quite well last Friday…he sounded happy when I last talked to him…" she stopped again and turned to me. "Did you talk to him for the weekend?" she asked quickly. 

"No…" I said softly. Her eyes nearly bugged out. 

"You didn't give him your number?" she asked, incredulous.

"No…"

"You didn't ask for his?"

"No…" Relena now looked around my desk before finding a piece of paper. She took out a silver pen and started to scribble furiously. 

"This…is…his home…number," she told me while writing. "And…this is his…cellular…" she stood up and handed me the piece of paper. "Call him. Tonight. Your very job depends on it." I quirked a playful eyebrow. 

"Excuse me?"

"You better call him if you want a job tomorrow," she said, staring at me. I folded my arms across my chest. 

"And if I don't, you'll fire me?" I asked. Relena smiled.

"Precisely," she responded. I raised both brows now. 

"Wait until the union hears about this," I threatened. 

"Try me," she replied calmly. We stared down each other for a few second before dissolving into giggles. 

"But seriously, you should call him," she said when we stopped laughing. 

"I guess I will," I said uncertainly. 

"He really likes you," Relena said with a slight note of desperation in her voice. She handed me back my rose. "Real reason I came here now. I'm going to have a meeting with the Alliance on Thursday about this hotel dispute, so I need you to do some things for me…write them down, it's a lot." She waited until I got a pen and a sheet of legal pad paper.  

"Shoot," I said, giving her the OK. She started to pace. 

"Alright, first I want you to pull up information on the economic growth of colony LXI314 for the past…ten years at least. Then I want you to do the same for WBX51, and arrange them into bar charts. Then I want you to get a map of all three colonies together, the smallest scale you can find. 1:50 will be nice…" she frowned slightly, as if she tried to remember something. Then she shrugged. "That's it for the time being." I nodded. 

"I'll start right away," I assured her. She smiled at me. 

"Thanks." And she went back to her office. Okay, I'll admit, all the while when she was dictating those notes to me, I wasn't really listening to her. Yes, I got the notes and I knew exactly what to do, but I wasn't concentrating on that at the moment. I had other things on my mind…the way she looked at that rose, it was so sad. 

Well, hopefully, all of that will change. I made a phone call and arrangements, and then I went straight to do what Relena told me to do. 

~*~

"Relena, I going to lunch," I stuck my head through her opened door as she had done earlier. She looked up from her computer, a slightly blank look on her face.

"Yeah, go ahead," she said absently and went back to typing away at her computer. I smiled and closed the door quietly. I caught a cab to Roxanne's and walked into the trendy coffee shop. I ordered a cappuccino and looked around. I smiled and walked to one of the tables. 

"Hey babe," Duo greeted as I hugged him warmly. He pulled out a chair for me and then sat down. "What's up?" I grinned like a child who found out what her Christmas present was a day early. 

"Oh, I'm so gonna need your help for this," I said with an excited sigh. He looked at me with anticipation. 

"Well?" he asked when I was still grinning. "Are you going to tell me sometime this century, or do I have to guess?" 

"Okay, you're Heero's best friend, right?" I asked softly, not trusting my voice at normal level. Yes, I was that excited. Duo scratched his head.

"More or less…why?" he asked. 

"Okay, here goes," I said, still giddy. "I have an idea. I want to do something special for Relena; she's been nothing but nice to me since I got here."

"So what do you have in mind?" he asked. I could tell he was getting slightly tired of the waiting. I decided to cut it short. 

"I need your help…to hook up Heero and Relena."

Oowie! Another cliffhanger!


	10. Chapter 10

Only Time 

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter: 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon; they belong to some undoubtedly rich Japanese people. I ain't one of them, once again. 

                  Alright, peeps we are about a third through the fic, give or take. Yes, I spent the whole weekend categorizing the upcoming events into chapters, and I figure this fic will span some thirty chapters…you know what _that _means…lots more cliffhangers, people! Hehe!

Q and A:

Amy: Hey, haven't seen you in a while! Glad you loved it!

Wicked Lady: Yeah…or Heero can decide he doesn't want Relena; he wants Ami, and BOOM! Soul mate found, a little wedding and three baby Yuys! And a cat. *shrugs* it could go either way, you know. I'm not saying anything concrete…*giggles at an undoubtedly grumbling Jenna*

Amanda: I think you mean Duo…anyways…you'll find out soon enough *winks*

Kaiya: Didn't break anything did you? No? Shucks! *pouts*

Himesama16: Lemme see…all I have to say…it's going to get very interesting soon…Stay tuned to 'Only Time' only on FanFiction.net. *laughs* Thanks for the idea, by the way. 

"''''''''''''' : *shrugs* Sorry to hear that.

Mercury Ice Storm: Ooh! You're just like me, then! Lost a few screws, huh?! Me too! *grins like a maniac*

Aurora: You ask some pretty deep questions…I like! Yes, the intense description of Heero's eyes, that's what you get when you read too many romance novels *wink*…Well, the whole thing about Ami forgetting her planet, I wanted to show that she is slowly moving away from her old life…but the thing about Mercury being hard to find, that was to show that she hasn't completely forgotten about her past. 

Huh…the rose not being from Duo…possibility, no?

Silver Star: *grins sheepishly* I can't help myself…

Oldestof3: *laughs* okay…all I have to say is please read on…hehe!

Jessica: I _really _can't help myself. And I am sweet and innocent…funny, you guys all sound like my friends…they seem to think I'm mean…*pouts*

WindRider Damia: *nervous smile* Sorry?

~*~

"Oh my God! Duo are you okay?" I asked, alarmed as he started to choke on his cappuccino. 

"No problem," he choked out and waved a hand. After a few more coughs, Duo looked up at me, blinking. And said six little words that sunk my hopes—for the time being. 

"Are you out of your mind?" he said quite bluntly. It was my turn to blink now. 

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. "Isn't it a good idea?" Duo sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Relena didn't tell you about her history with Heero?" he asked. I think the answer was obvious, but I still shook my head. Duo sighed again.

"Okay, this is highly classified information," he said softly, but seriously enough I paid close attention. "Don't tell anyone, especially Relena, that I told you this. It's not that she wouldn't have told you, it's just that she might've been waiting for the right time. Okay?" he ended off, his blue eyes begging for my compliance. 

"Okay," I nodded. Duo stared off like he was trying to remember something. 

"When Heero first met Relena, she was kind of…overbearing. She, more or less stalked him," Duo paused as I let this information filter through. "She followed him to another continent when he changed schools, and she followed him to…Antartica to deliver a letter to him…never heard of FedEx…" Duo muttered the last part with a roll of his eyes. "Among other things. Well, she stopped towards the end of the war when she had other things to focus on and they hardly had any contact during the period between the Eve Wars and the Mariemaia Revolts. When Relena was kidnapped, Heero risked his neck to save her, ending the war in the process."

"Uh-huh," I said, nodding. I really didn't see where this was going. 

"Well, they tried to…date each other after the revolts…Heero seemed to have finally developed emotions and fell for her—hard. It was all good and jolly for a few months, but…I don't know…" he trailed off and took another sip. 

"You don't know? That's not helping me," I responded. Duo sighed again in an impatient kind of way. 

"I doubt Relena or even Heero knew what happened. They started to get all heavy…no, not like _that_," Duo clarified when he saw my eyebrows shoot upwards. "But intense, you know, the stage when you start to confide in each other. They just…drifted after that, really," he shrugged. "And that's the oh-so-lamentable tale of Heero and Relena's love affair."

"That's it?" I asked, shocked. Duo rolled his eyes. 

"Ami, you must understand. Relena was ready to plunge emotionally into this relationship; hell, she was already doing it. But Heero…Heero has some issues he needs to resolve. I don't even know what they are myself. He doesn't confide in people easily. And that hurt Relena; badly. I doubt she wants to go through that again." I pounced on that.

"Ha!" I said, pointing an excited finger. "You don't know that…Friday night, you didn't see her. She was all into Heero. And when we came up to you guys; there was something there, I swear," I snapped my fingers, looking for another piece of evidence. "And when I asked her this morning if Heero was her boyfriend…" Duo visibly paled at this. 

"You asked…Dear god…" he muttered, running a hand over his face. But I was on a roll now, I couldn't stop myself.

"…you should've seen the look on her face. She laughed it off, sure, but there was something there, Duo!" I sighed and calmed myself. "Don't you see, Duo? It can do them some good. Relena and Heero; there's something between them." I could see Duo's resolve breaking. I tried to work on this. "When we came over to the two of you at the party, they exchanged a glance…you could see that they regret whatever happened to break up their relationship." I conveniently left out the fact that Heero looked away. Duo sighed. "The look in their eyes, Duo, the longing…" I was pouring it on _real_ thick now. Okay, okay I put my own little romance novel spin on it, but I'm sure if I got a longer look, I would've seen it. 

"I tried it before…Heero nearly took my head off my body," Duo groaned. I smiled harmoniously.

"He doesn't have to know…_they _don't have to know," I said in a light but persuasive voice; the type those salesladies use when they're trying to convince you to buy a pair of hundred dollar shoes they know you love.

"I can't believe this…" Duo buried his face in his hands. "I know better than this." I smiled inwardly and took a leaf out of Relena's book. 

"Please, Duo," I pleaded in a soft, sugary-sweet voice. Duo looked up at me like he just signed his death warrant. 

"The things I do for a pretty face…" he sighed. He sighed again. "Okay, what do you have in mind?" I giggled gleefully. 

"I knew you'd see things my way," I proclaimed proudly. Duo muttered something about him having a death wish. "Okay…here's what I'm thinking…" For the next half and hour, we put the finishing touches on a plan to hook our friends up in an inconspicuous but ingenious way. By the time we were done, Duo was feeling a bit more confident. 

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" I asked teasingly as we declared the plan perfect. Duo leaned back in his chair. 

"I'm just doing this because you'd keep haggling me if I didn't. Am I right?" he asked with a slight smirk. I gave a smug smile. 

"So, you'd brave the wrath of Heero just so I wouldn't harass you?" I asked. Duo shrugged.

"There are some things worse than having your head shot off," he said calmly. I laughed and stared at him. He was _so cute_! 

God, where'd that come from?

"Thanks for the rose Duo," I said suddenly. That was the first time I thought of it since I stepped out of the office. Duo frowned. 

"What rose?" I frowned along with him.

"You know, the white one with the sweet poetry on it," Duo raised a brow. 

"Sorry, babe, don't know where that came from," he grinned now. "Ooh, Ami has a secret admirer," he said like a gossipy high school girl. I rolled my eyes.

"Please," I said with a laugh. Duo quirked another brow.

"Why not?" he asked with a shrug. "Why wouldn't a guy want to be your secret admirer?" I felt myself blush at this. I conveniently looked at my watch at this point. 

"Oh, look at the time," I said in the typical clichéd fashion. "I gotta go." Duo nodded knowingly with a smug smirk on his face. "Seriously, Relena left a lot of work for me to do this morning."

"Whatever, Ames," he said. "Whatever."

~*~

I went back to the office that afternoon torn between feelings. On one hand, I was glad our plan was so foolproof, but on the other hand, I was confused. 

If Duo says he didn't send the note, who did? 

I was determined to find out. I walked up to Stacey at her desk. 

"Hi, Stace," I announced as I leaned on her desk. She looked up and gave a wan smile. Her cold was really knocking her around. "Can I talk to you for a second?" she nodded.

"Sure, what's up?" she asked groggily.

"Who sent the rose?" I asked. She shrugged. 

"I don't know. No one does. Samantha came in this morning and found it there," Stacey told me. She started to cough and I thanked her for her information. "No prob," she said and started to blow her nose. I frowned. Samantha was the cleaner lady. I didn't feel like questioning her because she wasn't the most cheerful person in the world. I doubt she'd want to get involved in the love life of a young adult. The rose was fresh, so it must've been placed there this morning. 

                  As I walked into the office, the rose was on my desk, mocking me. I picked it up and noted with a frown its immaculately white petals were now slightly wilted. I got a small juice bottle and filled it with water. Then I cut it diagonally in the florists' fashion and put it in the bottle and I then took it over to my desk and put it there, right next to my computer. 

As I sat down to finish gathering Relena's information, I tried to figure out who sent it. I wasn't about to ask for surveillance tapes from the night before just so I could see who it was…I suddenly noted with a smile that I actually didn't mind being kept in suspense.

But I know you guys do! Please review and thanks for reading. Ja!


	11. Chapter 11

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. They belong to some people I will never have the good fortune of meeting. 

                  THIS WILL BE MY LAST UPDATE FOR A WHILE, PEOPLE!!! No, I'm not talking about this being my last update for two days or three. I will have the next chapter out, by the earliest date, sometime next week. I'm not bluffing, peeps. Thanks for reviewing. I have a whooping EIGHTEEN reviews for this chapter. That means eighteen questions and comments. 

Q and A (much shorter, don't you think?)

Spooky Fyre: For a second there, I thought you were my cousin *winks*. You're gonna cry if it's who? Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say stalker, really…Thanks for reading.

IL195: *nervous laugh, then iceberg melting smile* Uh, you don't really want to kill me, do you? Then you won't know what will happen. *Winks* your move.

Meio-chan: Ooh, who indeed. Please, feel free to guess…*laughs* Thanks for reading.

Kate: Hmm…well, you can never know with Duo, can you?

Jchild: Yeah, I guess he is, huh? Hmm…Thanks again.

Oldestof3: *laughs* okay, chill, hon…don't want one of my regular reviewers dying on me, now do I?

Polgara: Yeah, I notice that. I don't know; I wanted to be different, to kind of shy away from that cliché. Well, stay tuned, it's gonna heat up. 

Amy: I think I know who you think it is. It seems likely, huh? Well, I have to start cutting back now, so…don't love me any less…

Arella Hallo: Who sent the rose…hmm…I wonder…well, don't hyperventilate on my expense…you have a whole bunch more cliffies and suspense to go through before I'm done with this fic *winks*.

Minimerc: Yeah, it's cute, no? Duo's a bad influence…really, he is. Look at what he's making Ami do…she was never like that…*shakes head* Sorta stalked him? Oh, don't get me started…I'm glad that she stopped that, though. As for the last part of your review, read on.

Silver Star: Oh, you knew? That's cool. Yeah, I might be coming down with something…I feel cold in the middle of 80º weather and I'm sneezing a lot too…Stacey gave it to me, she's upset that I gave her a cold, so she couldn't go to Relena's party and flirt with Quatre…*shrugs* So is life…feel better yet? I hope you do.

Kaiya: The only how you are finding out prematurely is if you come to my house and read my little black and white composition book! And I'm not worried about Ami…it's Heero that scares me…*sniffles*

Amanda: Yes, it does, doesn't it? *winks* Well, if that's the case then, yes, I do enjoy cliffhanging you peeps.  

Jessica: Ah, don't worry about it…my ego's WAY thicker than my skin. In fact, my friends and I do this as a banter kind of thing. You know, huh? Yes, they are heating up…and quickly too. 

Mercury Ice Storm: LOL, it did…well, I don't think I was born with any, so there you go! 

WindRider Damia: Uh…glad I made you happy…well, you'll get your answer soon…enough, yeah, soon enough. You got my email, right?

SakuraMona: *BEEEEEEEP*…who is *BEEEEEEEP*? Thanks for the free advertisement!

Himesama16: What is she planning, you'll find out this chapter. The rose…you'll see in due time *winks*. 

Yeah…on to the fic!

~*~

At five, I stepped into Relena's office. She had her head on the desk, buried in her arms, muttering something and life being stressful. 

"Uh, Relena?" I asked softly. She looked up, her hair tousled and her face creased with sleep lines. 

"Yeah?" she replied sleepily. I put on a shy smile.

"Um, I was wondering, if you had nothing doing tonight, if you'd like to come with me to Roxanne's." Relena frowned.

"Sorry, Ami, I'm not up to it," she said regretfully. My heart chilled. Oh, God, she was refusing. 

"But Relena, you look so stressed. A night out will be exactly what you need," I pleaded in the same saleslady voice I used at lunch. Relena shook her head. 

"I have to get in here early tomorrow morning. I got stuff to do," she shrugged. 

"I won't keep you out too late, I promise you," Well, okay, maybe not if tonight works out.  Relena sighed and looked out of the window. I smiled. Time to play my trump card. "Insomnia's playing there tonight," I added in a hopeful voice. Relena's head snapped back to me. Inside I jumped for joy. _Gotcha!_

"Insomnia's playing there?" she repeated, incredulous. Duo foresaw something like this would happen, so he told me to use this as last resort. It seemed the local group happened to be one of her favorites. "How come I didn't hear that?" 

"'Cause you never go to Roxanne's for lunch!" I giggled. "A waitress told me this afternoon." Relena was beaming now. 

"Okay, what time should I pick you up?" she asked, excitement evident in her voice. I smiled smugly. 

"How about…8:30?"

~*~

True to our agreement, Relena picked me up outside my apartment that night. I climbed into her white convertible Celica and we drove off in the direction of the restaurant. She was wearing a soft pink peasant top and white capris. Her hair was loose, held back by a pair of pink barrettes. _Perfect. _

"Insomnia just happens to be one of my favorite groups," she told me as we drove down the freeway, the wind whipping through our hair. 

"I picked up on that," I replied, nodding my head to the hip-hop music on the radio. 

"They are just so…God, there's no word to describe them," she sighed. She put the pedal to the metal as soon as the stoplight we were at turned green. I wondered if this was how she always drove. "You'll see when we get there," she told me after she sang the chorus of the song on the radio. In less than five minutes, we were walking into the restaurant's doors. I took a quick look around, but they weren't there yet. 

"Let's sit here," I said quickly, pointing to a seat that had a clear view of both the stage and the entrance. It also had four chairs. We sat across from each other, Relena with a clear view of the stage. 

"Don't you want to sit here?" she asked, indicating the seat next to her. "Clearer view of the stage." 

"No, I'm fine," I replied with a smile. Relena shrugged. I turned and looked up at the stage. Five people were presently coming on: four guys and a girl. They were dressed in urban chic gear, right down to the baggy pants and jeans jackets. The girl, tall and slender walked up to the mike. She had her hair dyed red hair in braids and her blue eyes, obviously contact lenses owning to her olive complexion. 

"Good night, my peeps here at Roxanne's, how y'all doing?" she asked in a thick Hispanic accent. She was met with several cheers and applause. "Good. I'm Casmine, and these guys are a part of my band, Insomnia. Richie's on the guitar, Pete's on the keyboard, Paul is on the drums and Michael is the male lead. I'm female lead." She paused to look around a bit. "So, sit back and enjoy the show!" she ended with a smile. The patrons, including Relena, cheered at this. 

I, one the other hand, had other things on my mind. Where were they? I looked at my watch impatiently. Quarter to nine. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Well, they could be on their way. 

Three songs and two Sprites later, they were still not here. Relena was well engrossed with the show, while I was well engrossed with the door. I think I was contemplating ways of killing someone with a spoon. Duo was _sooo_ dead.

"Oh, Relena, look!" I said, my voice suddenly chirpy. "Look who just arrived!" Giving me a strange look, Relena looked over her shoulder to the door. At Heero and Duo. I was feeling suddenly happy. Maybe it was the Sprite. They spotted us and Duo waved. Heero was looking sullen as ever. I could see Duo pulling Heero over to our table. 

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Duo asked, not a trace of phoniness to be found in his voice. Was it me or did Heero's eyes seemingly narrow? Relena smiled at him. 

"Oh…" she started before I cut her off. 

"Relena looked stressed, so I decided she needed a night on the town," If Relena had said something like 'Ami dragged me here' Heero would've gotten suspicious. And we didn't want that, did we? Relena nodded and she got up to hug Duo; it seemed to be their customary greeting. I watched seemingly uninterestedly, but my eyes were trained on them like a hawk. Relena turned and was immediately facing Heero. They looked gazes for a few seconds; I could see Duo was watching them too. 

"Night, Heero," Relena said with a strained smile. Heero nodded at her. His arms were folded across his chest. Relena's eyes rested on them for a mili-second, before she sat down with a nervous chuckle. Duo and I exchanged a brief glance before I got up to hug him. 

"You're looking lovely," he whispered to me, complimenting my simple white slip dress and blue wedge heels. I did my hair in two plaits, secured across the back of my head. 

"Thanks," I whispered back. I caught a good whiff of the same nameless cologne he wore Friday night. I exhaled deeply. We pulled away and Duo sat easily next to me. Heero was left with no choice but to sit next to Relena, unless he wanted to insult her. I doubt that was an option. He sat down in the chair next to her resignedly. Relena smiled briefly at him before concentrating her full attention on the band. They were singing a pop-sounding tune, Casmine's throaty voice touching deep cords within me. If I closed my eyes, I knew I'd see Rei. 

For the next hour, we made casual conversation. No, scrap that, more accurately, Duo and I made casual conversation while Relena answered in monosyllables  and Heero either grunted in response or ignored us completely. He seemed to be deep in thought. Duo and I sighed and exchanged yet another glance. We seemed to be doing a lot of that tonight. This time, though I gave a slight nod. 

"I'm going to the bathroom," I announced. 

"Yeah," Relena replied quietly, while Heero grunted. I trekked over to the bathroom, passing a panel of windows. I looked in the parking lot and saw Relena's Celica. Once in the ladies' room, I took out my cellular phone and dialed a number. My call was answered with a joyful 'Hello'. I stayed silent. After a few words, the person hung up. I disconnected as well. My job was almost done. After about five minutes, I sauntered back out. I noticed that one person was missing. 

"Where's Duo?" I asked, frowning. Relena shrugged. 

"One of his friends just called, had some problem with some Theology assignment. He left not too long ago." She replied and went back to watching Insomnia. 

"Oh," I replied, sounding disappointed. I sat down quietly. I looked over at Heero, who still seemed to be deep in thought. His eyes, they resembled a stormy sea. 

After about ten minutes, my cellular phone rang. Excusing myself, I answered it. I noticed Heero was watching me. He had been for the longest time, I just pretended I didn't notice. After a short conversation, where I answered like I was trying to calm someone, I hung up, my expression stressed. 

"Um, I'm gonna have to leave now," I said regrettably. Relena started to get up. "No, no, don't leave on my account. You're obviously enjoying the music." I told her. She sighed and sat back down. Then was when Heero said his first words for the evening. 

"I'm going to the bathroom," And he left. I shrugged, bid Relena 'goodbye' and walked out to the parking lot. 

"My God," I sighed, massaging my head. Matchmaking was hard work. 

"That didn't go well," Duo agreed, leaning against the driver's door of his black convertible. 

"No, it didn't" I sighed. "Lunch tomorrow? Regroup?" I suggested. Duo nodded. 

"Give it time," he said comfortingly with a shrug. I smiled and shrugged back. I started to walk to the corner to hail a cab. "Hey, don't you want a ride?" I shook my head. 

"Nah, Heero just went to the bathroom, he might see," I answered. Duo muttered an 'Oh' and waved. I waved back and went to the corner. 

Remember my notice. Oh, and tell me what you thought of the hook-up plan. And excuse the possible mistakes in grammar and spelling; I wrote this in a hurry. 


	12. Chapter 12

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

                  God! Has anyone watched 'XXX' yet? I saw it on Saturday! That movie kicks @$$! And Vin Diesel, looking as good as ever…*swoons*…Uh…Yeah, Chapter 12 peeps…quite short…*evil grin*

Q or C and A:

Oldestof3: Hehehe!

Jessica: Uh…well…it might, I mean you never know with those two…Sensitive? Me? Nah…when you have friends like mine, you really can't be sensitive…trust me.

Wicked Lady: WHY NOT! They'd look just like chibi Heeros. And I don't know about you, but I find chibi Heeros damn cute!

Spooky Fyre: Thank you! Almost…beginning to sound like people I know!

Kaiya: Well, you know Heero…Well; I'll just have to set my guard dog on you! Sick 'er, Cappuccino! 

Jchild: Uh…I'd call it stubbornly idiotic…yeah, that sounds about right…

Amanda: Why thank you! 

IL195: *Screams, clutches leg* HEEEEEERRRRROOOOO!!!!

*Heero comes out, looking like he just woke up. Not looking very                  happy* What?

*Points to Space Marines and IL195* She shot me in the leg and now she's gonna kill me!!!! KILL HER!!!

*Raises a brow; looks at IL195* Do whatever the hell you want with her, reviewer…God know she annoys the living *bleep* out of me…damned *bleep* *walks back to bedroom, swearing up a storm*

*Zarabeth looks at IL195, pales*

Amy: Finally, someone realizes my value! *bows*

Silver Star: Alright, even though I'm slightly protective of the chauvinistic bastard…stay away from Heero, and I won't have to kill you…*smiles* K? Oh, and let me now if and when you write your fic. 

~*~

                  The next morning I got to work, early as usual. Okay, so the 'date' didn't go too well last night…at least not while Duo and I was there. See, I came up with this theory: maybe they loosened up after we left. I was itching to find out. After I set my briefcase down, my next stop was Relena's office. 

"Morning," I said as I walked in. Relena was on the phone and she gave a smile and nod. I looked out of the panoramic windows while she wrapped it up. 

"Morning," she replied as she hung up. I looked at her and she was smiling up at me…there was also a little…glint in her eyes. My hopes momentarily soared. 

"How was the…evening after we left?" I asked casually, barely avoiding saying the word 'date'. Relena shrugged. 

"Okay," she got up and went over to her mini-fridge. "You want something?"

"No," I replied. "Uh…so when'd you leave?" I asked. 

"Shortly after you did, really," she answered. My hopes teetered dangerously.  

"Oh, Insomnia finished playing early then," I inquired. Relena strolled over to me, drinking from a plastic bottle of water. 

"No," she shook her head. "The night just got boring." My hopes crashed and burned. 

"So you drove Heero home?" Again, she shook her head. 

"He said he had something to take care of," Relena shrugged indifferently. I stole a glance at her face. It was placid, but her blue eyes were glowing. "Are we going anywhere else tonight?" she asked, looking at me directly in the face. I bit my tongue. What should I tell her?

"Uh…I don't think I feel up to it tonight…" I answered calmly. She nodded. 

"Alright. You're done with those LXI314 reports?" she asked. I nodded. 

"Yeah, they're on my desk. I'll get them," I walked into my office, remembering to check. No rose. Feeling slightly dejected, I walked back to Relena's office with the folder. I gave it to her and she looked it over. I noticed her face was going through a whole set of emotions. Surprise, bewilderment and finally, annoyance. With roll of her eyes, she tossed the folder onto her desk and rubbed the bridge of her nose. 

"Well, I have to go head on with the Alliance this Thursday," she said, her voice tired. I understood. 

"They definitely need that hotel," I whispered. Why? Because Colony LXI314 was in a state of economic depression. They were just slightly better off than places like Haiti were in my time. Over half the population was unemployed and poverty was as commonplace as cars were to us. Relena was now staring off into space, a slightly disturbed look on her face. 

"They aren't going to like it…" she muttered mostly to herself. Then she looked up with a half smile. "But to hell with them, huh?" I nodded in agreement, but I was deeply concerned. Relena's face was pasty and her eyes had darkened to an almost navy color. Her smile was fake and hollow. 

~*~

"Okay, Date number one was a veritable disaster," Duo said with a sigh. We were at Roxanne's discussing our backup plan. I lifted my cup in agreement, as I was stuffing my face with a sinful piece of chocolate cake.

"Alright…what do you think the problem was?" I asked when I had swallowed. Duo shrugged. 

"They were too close to each other," he answered in a brainstorming fashion. I nodded. 

"Yeah, maybe we shouldn't have forced them to sit together," I mused. "it's too soon." Duo frowned. 

"Or…maybe they weren't relaxed…" Duo said with a slight smile.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Relena was perfectly relaxed…at least until Heero arrived." I added despondently. 

"Exactly." Duo said wagging an excited finger. "They were both relaxed, but got worked up around each other…now, if they were worked up before the date…" he trailed off. I shook my head in disagreement. 

"They'll get even more worked up on the date," I finished sullenly. Duo smiled, his blue eyes sparkling. 

"Not if we're in a relaxed atmosphere," he countered. "Like say…" I gaped in understanding, realizing what he was think of.

"The beach…" I frowned. "Where are we going to find a beach in Northern Europe?" I asked. Duo sighed. 

"You are so hopelessly pessimistic," he sighed. "Ye of little faith," he said with a grin. "Leave it to me." I raised a brow. 

"Oh, so you're so gifted that you can find a beach in England," I asked skeptically. 

"That's right," Duo nodded. I threw up my hands. 

"Fine, alright," I agreed, still dubious. 

"When will the both of them be in a foul mood?" he asked. "I mean, I have no problem with Heero; he's always pissed. What about Relena?" I smiled. 

"She has this Alliance meeting Thursday morning," I replied. Duo nodded with a laugh. 

"Yeah, that's bound to get her riled up." I smiled, feeling hopeful again. I juts had one other concern.  

"But will it work?" I asked. Duo nodded. 

"See, the problem isn't Relena; it's Heero. He's uptight around Relena, and that makes her uptight. I don't know, Heero seems to relax when he's at the beach; it has some sort of claming effect on him." I nodded, surprisingly not finding that strange.

"So, Thursday it is, then?" I said more than asked. Duo nodded and sighed. I frowned. He seemed so joyful a while ago, now he suddenly looked totally miserable. 

"Duo, what's wrong?" I asked, my heart pounding. The way he looked up at me told me I wasn't going to like his answer. 

"We have to do this carefully," he said softly. I blinked. 

"Why?" I asked, my heart rate climbing. 

"Because, last night Heero came to my apartment," his next few words nearly rendered my heart paralyzed. "He wanted to know whose idea it was to try and hook him and Relena up."

Ha ha! And the plot thickens! Ciao!  


	13. Chapter 13

Only Time 

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter: 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. They belong to some other peeps that I named some chapters before. Yes, if you want to know who they are, you'll have to read them. 

                  Okay, I think I should tell you people early, this fic isn't to be taken at face value. There are some twists, turns and curves still to come, so stay tuned! Please, this fic isn't exactly what it seems. Oh, and I figured that you guys deserve it, so this is an extra long chapter. It took me two days to write.  

Q or C and A:

Polgara: Short end of the stick…maybe…but maybe not…

Cocheta: Oh, and I'm sure you peeps have strong hearts…juts don't get the idea to do this to me…*puppy dog eyes* Please?

Spooky Fyre: Heero is very… 'pissable'. As for school…oh, don't worry, just

count down the semesters until graduation…that's what's keeping me _barely _alive…

Mercury Ice Storm: Hmmmmmm? What's that mean? *smile*

Silver Star: Good! My dear girl…I beginning to think I invented that. Well, good luck and I'll definitely look out for it!

Za Kaze no Nisou: Oh yes he is!

SweetAngels3: I'm glad you are. Yes, I becoming very attached to Ami now…as a matter a fact, would you happen to know any good Ami-centered fics? Have you written any? 

Jessica: Yeah, it's bound to be…interesting. Yeah…so is Duo's response. 

IL195: Oh shit…uh…sorry? *hits Heero* Heero…help!

*Heero gives sadistic smirk* You got yourself in this, you get yourself out…*walks off, smiling, smirking*

*Zarabeth looks back at reviewer, gives a dazzling, if not a bit nervous smile*

Wicked Lady: Yeah, _a lot _of stuff went BOOM! Oh, do you mean that pic where Treize in his navy blue robe, holding a glass of red wine? Girl, I _adore _that picture! 

Kaiya: Oh, my fave line is when he's in his room at the bad guy's house and he just got his…free show, yeah…and he's smiling saying 'the things I'm gonna do for my country!' The whole cinema cracked up! Oh and Cappuccino doesn't eat doggie biscuits…hehe!

Kat Silver: It's different, isn't it? Glad you're addicted. 

~*~

The world suddenly took on a very blurry appearance. I dropped my fork on my plate with clatter. 

"What?!" I gasped. Just had to make sure. Duo sighed. 

"He wanted to know whose idea it was to hook up him and Relena," he repeated softly. I gaped at him.

"And you're so calm _WHY_?!" I said, momentarily losing my cool. Several patrons looked in our direction. 

"Because I took care of it," Duo answered, and leaned back in his chair. 

"Huh?" I asked, totally baffled. "How?"

"Total case of coincidence," he answered with a grin. I blinked, waiting for him to continue. "Okay, last night I told Heero and Relena someone called to ask for my help with an assignment." 

"Uh huh," I said slowly, nodding. 

"So when I came home last night, someone really did come by to ask for my help." I sighed loudly. 

"Thank God," I whispered. 

"Yeah, Jan was there when Heero stopped by," I frowned. 

"Jan?" I repeated. Duo nodded.

"Yeah, she always has some problem she needs my help with," he said and took a casual sip of his espresso. 

"I bet," I murmured darkly as I took a bite of my cake. I remembered the tricks of the trade Mina and Serena especially would try to attract a guy. 

Then, I blinked and took a deep breath. Was I jealous? I shook my head rapidly. 

"So, you sure he didn't suspect?" I asked cautiously. Duo shrugged. 

"No problem," I replied. My heart rate finally started to slow down. I took another bit of my cake. I now understood why people liked to eat when she was stressed; it was very calming. 

"You're gonna get fat, you know," Duo said suddenly. I stopped eating mid-bite. 

"Hmm?" I said, my mouth stuffed with cake. Duo nodded. 

"Yeah, do you know how much fat that's laden with?" he said, in a professional voice. "Especially since it's chocolate. It can also lead to breakouts." I narrowed my eyes at him. 

"Duo," I said when I swallowed. I caught on. "Buy your own cake."

"Why? Then I'd be defeating my purpose."

"Which is?" I asked, raising a brow. 

"Saving your perfect size 6 figure."

"Duo," I said again.

"Yes?" he said expectantly. 

"Screw you," I replied, stuffing another forkful into my mouth. 

~*~

I was back in the elevator going up to Relena's offices. Duo, tried as he might, couldn't get me to relinquish my cake. I smiled in remembrance of his failed attempts. Now thinking about it, he was very lucky that I wasn't one of those women who were sensitive about their weight, or else he would've gone home with a black eye for some of those comments. I got out of the elevator still smiling, only to but directly into someone. The guy who delivered lunches. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I apologized immediately. He grunted in response and steppe into the elevator. I sighed. I really must be more careful. I peeped into Relena's office to let her know I was back then went into mine. 

On my desk was another immaculate white rose. I frowned, remembering it wasn't there this morning. I walked up to my desk and sure enough, it was just flawless in it's appearance. There was also another poem attached to it. 

_Never frown because you never know  
When someone is falling  
In love with your smile_

I felt my cheeks heat slight as I placed it into my makeshift vase, next to my first rose, which was beginning to wilt. For some reason, I didn't think Duo was lying when he said he didn't send it. Well, whoever it was, he was a very sweet person.

~*~ 

                  Thursday came quite quickly. Relena wasn't there that morning, since she went directly to her meeting with the Alliance. I waited around, my stomach rumbling with butterflies. I had to make this work; I just had to. It was around eleven in the morning and I was on the computer finishing up a report Relena left for me when I heard her door slam. I smiled. I went through the adjoining door to her office. 

"Hey," I greeted, "how'd the meeting go?" I swallowed hastily when I caught the look. Her face was slightly flushed and her eyes were flashing dangerously. 

"Oh perfectly fine," she spat acidly, literally throwing her briefcase on the cream couch. 

"Um…what did they have to say about the hotel project?" I ventured. Don't know since when I became so brave. Relena gave a hollow, but biting laugh that made me wince. 

"Oh, they just _scrapped the frigging proposal!_" she replied, shouting the last part. Relena turned from me and started what sounded like trying to breath calmly. 

"What do you mean?" I asked. She sighed. 

"I showed them all the graphs and charts, gave them all the information we gathered. Do you know what they did?" she asked rhetorically, a pained look on her face. She started to pace. "They brushed it off. 'Oh, there are at least five colonies like that in every hemisphere…they get by, what if we granted every one of those colonies every one of their wishes? Chaos!'" she mimicked, twisting her face as she did. "They don't care…they don't…" she turned to me again. "Remember I told you that one of the members holds the title deed?" 

"Yeah," I answered with a nod. 

"Do you know what he said at the end of the meeting? He said he was considering putting his own private villa on the abandoned colony now since it wouldn't be in use!" her voice was high and strained. "Do you know how many goddamned villas he has around this world? In the colonies? He wouldn't have even remembered the deed if I didn't mention it! They would rather think about their own wants before the needs of the people they swore to represent," she bit her lip. "And when I tried to stand up for the rights of the people of the colonies, they called me naïve and insubordinate." I could actually see her pain frustration etched on every one of her features, from her wrinkled brow to her slouched shoulders. I could feel it radiating from her too. I came up next to her and tentatively place an arm around her shoulders. 

"Well," I started, looking for words to say. I wasn't exactly a pro at this. "You were doing your job, and very well too." I offered. Relena started to blink rapidly. 

"It's frustrating," she whispered softly. I nodded. 

"I can see why. Look," I said, noticing she was dangerously close to tears. "The colonies are very lucky to have someone like you looking after their interests so passionately. You just have to remember them every time you go up to the Alliance with a proposal and every time they shoot it down. It's hard work, but it wouldn't be worth it if it was easy." I was speaking freely from my heart, pouring my soul into it. During my little speech, I remembered every occasion where I'd feel totally defeated and despondent after a particularly hard battle with the Negaverse or Pharaoh 90, as well as when I was studying for my high school examinations. So, I was simply saying what I told myself when I felt like giving up. I never knew it to fail. 

"Yeah," Relena said softly after a few moments, not facing me. Then she gave a weak laugh. "God, look at me here, crying like a baby." She got up from the side of her desk where we were and started to wipe at her face with a napkin, still not turning her face to mine. "What are we doing today?" Relena asked, her voice still shaky but sounding bright. That was when I remembered my plan with Duo. 

"Oh, well, Duo and I were going to the beach today," I started. Relena finally turned to me, shaking her head. Her eyes were slightly red and her face blotchy. 

"No, I couldn't impose," she started to reply. I shook my own head. 

"No, you wouldn't be. You need to relax today, and the beach would be perfect," I insisted. 

"No, Ami, you and Duo go have fun," she said with a smile. "I'll find something to do." God, this was going to be hard. 

"Relena," I said firmly. "I would feel so very guilty if I was off having fun and I knew you were probably miserable."

"I won't be…" she protested.  Alright then, if she insisted, I had one last devise to use. Emotional manipulation. 

"Remember last Friday, when you invited me to your party?" I stated quietly. Relena sighed and bowed her head. The picture of defeat. "I was wallowing in homesickness until that night. I mean that totally made my week. You saw me all unhappy and you did something about it. At least let me do the same for you."

"Alright," she said throwing up her hands. "Okay, what time?" I grinned. Man, I was good at this. 

~*~

At three that afternoon, I heard a car horn outside my apartment complex. I finished plaiting my hair into two pigtails, and grabbed my bag before dashing out of the room. Under my cover up, which was a big, red shirt, I wore my bath-suit; a light blue tankini that Stacey and I picked up the afternoon we went shopping. Stepping out of the complex, I walked out to the Duo black convertible. I stopped short. 

In the backseat, Heero and Relena were sitting together, deep in conversation. Duo gave me a slight nod and a smile as if to confirm what I was seeing. Suddenly feeling lighter than air, I sprinted to the car. 

"Good afternoon everyone," I greeted as I got in, turning to face the two. 

"Afternoon," Relena replied, glowing. Heero gave a nod and a half smile that totally lit up his features. They exchanged a smug smile before I turned back. Duo and I exchanged our own smile before driving off. 

Half an hour later, we were on a long stretch of deserted road outside the city. Duo was going at a steady 60 mph, the radio blaring. The song playing was a mellow soft rock with a hypnotizing melody. I was leaning way back into my seat, resting my head on the headrest, my eyes closed. A sudden peals of giggles from the backseat woke me from my state of partial consciousness. I lowered by shaded with a finger and looked across at Duo who nodded. With my own giggle, I went back to my little nap. It didn't last long, however, because duo nudged me awake. 

"We're here," he announced. I sat up straighter in my seat, seeing as the car was still moving. We were driving along the same stretch of road; only this time there was a lovely view. Along the way there was a stretch of crystal blue water, waves lolling gently along white sand. I took of my glasses and blinked. This looked like the type of beach one would find in the Caribbean, not in England. 

"How…?" I stammered. Duo grinned. 

"I'm just gifted like that," he replied. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. He parked the car on a bank of sand a short way from the beach itself. 

"Alright," Duo said, switching off the ignition. "Everyone out."

~*~

After an hour of swimming and frolicking in the water, which was pleasantly warm, I stepped out of the water wearily. As I did, I noticed with slight dismay that my bathing suit was clinging very tightly to my body. It looked so modest on the hanger…no wonder Stacey didn't object like she usually did when I chose this over the bikini. Walking quicker than usual, I walked over to where I kept my towel. I also noticed that Heero was lying there, watching me as I came toward him. 

"You swim really well," he said as I pulled the towel over my shoulders. I gaped at him. Those were the first words I've ever heard him utter to me. Recovering quickly, I gave a shy smile. 

"Thanks," I sighed and sat down only a few feet away from him. Curious to see if he was going to tell me anything else, I glanced over at Heero. He was now on his back, his hands at the back of his head, looking up into the sky. 

"What are you looking at?" I heard myself asking him. He glanced across at me, a slightly quizzical look on his face. But that passed away quickly. 

"Nothing in particular," he replied. I found myself thinking how I liked his voice; it was deep and spellbinding and I didn't doubt my feeling of being able to listen to it all day. Before I could chastise myself for letting my mind wander in that direction, he spoke again. "Just thinking."

"Thinking? About what?" Okay, now I was just rattling off. I wouldn't have asked about his private thoughts. Maybe I was possessed by Destiny…seriously, I would _not _put it past her. 

"The earth," he replied softly. "And why the hell I would want to put my life on line to save it." he looked slightly shocked when he said this. I frowned…no, I actually did. 

"What do you mean?" I asked. Heero sighed. 

"I'm not going to take for granted that you don't know; Relena probably told you already," he started as a matter a factly. "But I can't even count the amount of times I've risked my life for…nothing, it feels like." 

"Nothing?" I said with a chuckle. "Heero, there are plenty reasons why one would want to preserve the earth." Heero looked over at me and raised a brow. 

"Is that a fact?" he asked calmly. I sighed in exasperation. 

"Yes, it is," I answered. 

"Name one," he said simply, yet I could hear the challenge behind his voice. Well, what a challenge! That was one of the easiest questions anyone could've asked. 

"For one, the inhabitants. I mean, take Duo and Relena for example," I said pointing at them as they chased each other along the beach with water guns. "There are millions of people around the world just like them. We have to safeguard them."

"We?" Heero asked. I sighed. Once again, still thinking I was a scout. 

"Well, it's everyone's responsibility to safeguard the earth. In their own unique ways," I added the last part hastily. Heero gave me a calculating look but didn't comment. 

"Relena is from England, Duo is American," he stated, his voice always even and level. "They are very loyal to their respective countries. Now, what if England declares war on America? You'll see how fast that relationship disintegrates." 

"How can you say that? Your own two friends?" I asked, aghast. 

"Ami, I've seen it happen. It will happen, God forbid my hypothetical situation become reality." He said. For the first time I heard some sort of emotion in his voice. Exasperation. Whether it was directed at the conversation, or me, I didn't know. 

"Don't you have faith in the world?" I asked, shaking my head in disgust. It was really distressing to see what a morbid outlook to life Heero had. Heero gave me a cynical smile that looked strangely beautiful despite the feelings behind it. 

"If you've seen what I've seen, you'll find it a tad difficult to believe the world is all good and pretty," he said. Though his voice had a hint of malice and patronizing behind it, his eyes held an overwhelming amount of sadness in them. 

"But Heero, if you've seen what I've seen, you'd believe the world is worth every ounce of your love." I said softly, with a small smile. "If only you'd see the positive instead of the negative, you'd understand me." I looked at him and he gazed at me with an unreadable expression on his face. 

"So innocent," he whispered, while still look at me. "I pray to God that doesn't change." 

Okay, I would've had this chapter out a long time ago, but I took my own sweet time with it. I think you might've noticed my last two chapters seemed a bit rushed. And I think I owe you guys the best of my abilities. After all those cliffhangers and the suspense, you deserve it!   


	14. Chapter 14

Only Time 

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter: 14

Disclaimer: Must I? Okay, just so I won't get my ass sued…I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. And just for the record, Ami's swimsuit belongs to Victoria's Secret. 

                  Okay, my apologies to Amanda and Oldestof3, I posted up before I checked my reviews, so I obviously didn't see your reviews, so I'll answer your comments here. Oh, and it might me this chapter or the next one…but anyways, I won't be updating for a few days, maybe a few weeks. I don't know, so keep checking.  

Q or C and A:

Amanda: Aren't you enjoying the wait? *Innocent smile* 

Oldestof3: Bad ending? What'd I do to deserve that? Oh, and remember my notice in the last chapter.

MysticalNymph: I'm glad you do!

Katty: Thank you. Are they going out?

Mercury Ice Storm: I finally read and reviewed your fic. Update, please!!!

Kaiya: Yes you will! I'm glad you know me so well! T-bone…well, I'll have to train her not to eat from strangers then…she's a very obedient dog, too!

IL195: *Raises brow, folds arms, smirks* So what if I made it Ami/Heero? What do have against it? 

Silver Star: Of course I do! Ami's definitely one of my favorite scouts now. 

Arella Hallo: Yeah, it's been a while since I saw you. Don't worry, if I want to live to see graduation, I will. There are some very evil peeps out there that I know will be after my head I don't keep at it. Are you one of them? *narrows eyes suspiciously*

Jchild: She should defend it with her life! I would…yeah, anyways, well, she seems to think it's working, can't blame her for getting over confident. But then again, you're right, she hardly knows these people and what goes through their twisted minds…yeah, we're all going through it at the moment, I can't even go on the computer as much as I want to…damned studies! Oh well, it's for the best. 

Crystal Dragon: Mine melted when I wrote that. Too bad there aren't many guys who would say sweet things like that…Oh, it's quite alright. 

ChibiTenshi: Wicked cool, huh? Glad you like it! 

Za Kaze no Nisou: Ah, well…so you aren't ready to kill me over the suspense and cliffhangers huh? *Hopeful smile*

Jessica: Oh, you do? The other pilots, not in this fic…*winks* and as for the scouts…well, I'll explain that later. 

Aurora: I'm glad you liked Ami's words to Relena; I thought it was too melodramatic, really. Yeah, I wanted to get that contrast out and maybe lighten Heero up a bit…*grunts* anyway, I'm happy that you love this fic. Have you written any of your own, or are you considering it? 

Meio-chan: Long time no see. And yes he did! Oh, it gets better! 

Angel Anne: Thank you for the compliments! I look forward to hearing from you.

Minimerc: Long time no…hear? *frowns* I haven't been to the beach once for the whole summer…and it's just a ten minute drive away! *pouts* I haven't heard his Japanese voice yet, but I'm totally in love with his English voice…*sigh*…Well, I'll get off my soapbox now…

~*~

His eyes were still locked on to mine long after he finished his heart melting statement, as were mine to his. They were calm and placid, the deep blue hue looking strangely shimmery. There was something in them, something I couldn't identify. I felt that same drowning sensation I felt when I first looked into them nearly a week ago. Slowly sinking, going under, under…

"Heero," I whispered, knowing my voice would shake if it were any higher. "It would seem to be an innocent, if not a bit naïve belief, but it's the truth." I tried to pry my eyes from his, but they held me fast, like a butterfly trapped in a spider's web. "The world isn't all bad. Trust me, I know."

"The world isn't all good either, trust me, I know," he replied as softly as I had. I finally managed to take my eyes from his. I looked down and sighed deeply, trying to regain control. 

"That's not a good enough reason to think the world should be destroyed." I whispered. More confident now, I looked back at him. "Just a while ago, you said you hoped there isn't another war. That means you care," I said excitedly. Heero immediately shook his head. 

"No it doesn't," he said quietly. "It's a selfish prayer on my part; I don't think I could handle fighting in another war." He was looking in my direction, but not at me. It was more over my shoulder, at something I couldn't see. And something potentially disturbing. "I know I'm considered the Perfect Soldier, but I'm human too; I can only take so much." He wasn't talking to me now; Heero was in his own little world. 

"Oh…" I breathed softly. I could feel the pain radiating from him, like I could feel Relena's earlier that day. My little utterance seemed to have brought Heero back to earth, because he immediately 'snapped out of it' and looked back at me. His eyes were flat and tranquil once again. For some reason, I think I was the first person to hear him say this. 

"Well, since you didn't convince me last time, I'll give you another chance," he announced, his voice just as calm. It unnerved me the way he could switch emotions. "Give me another reason why the world is so precious." He stared at me, waiting for an answer. He did have to wait long, though. I didn't think, I just answered. 

"Love," I heard myself say. Heero raised a brow. 

"Love?" he repeated. Not mockingly, but quite interested. I nodded, realizing I couldn't back out of this one. Not that I wanted to. 

"Yes," while looking off for inspiration, I spied two people. "Like that couple over there." I said nodding at them. Heero turned to look at them. A few hundred yards away, a woman was sitting on the beach, her long auburn hair skimming the sand, snuggled close to a man with sandy blond hair. He had his arms wrapped around her shoulders and her head was on his chest. 

"Cute couple," he muttered. I nodded. 

"Exactly," I replied. "The last thing on their minds right now would be war and the destruction it brings. They're too engrossed with each other. They probably have a wealth of plans for the future; their future." I was watching them too, my heart sort of aching as I did. How long did I have to wait until I'd feel that way?

"Too bad it won't last," Heero said darkly. I glanced over at him, slightly annoyed. 

"Really Heero; you must learn how to look at the bright side of things." I chastised. Heero grunted. I rolled my eyes and continued. "But that's besides that point, whether they last or not. They obviously think they will and that's all that matters." I sighed wistfully. "They're probably dreaming about their wedding day, if they aren't married already, living in their own house with…three of their own beautiful children. "Their births, their first words, first steps, first loves and heartaches…"

"The pride of seeing them grow up to be successful people," Heero added thoughtfully, surprising me. I looked over at him and nodded. 

"Yeah," I said with a smile. "We have to protect people like them so they can fulfill their dreams." I noticed Heero didn't comment on my classifying the both of us in the same boat. "The _real_ innocent ones." Heero did raise his brow at this, though. 

"The 'real' innocent ones," he repeated with a small smile. "Explain." I shrugged. 

"I'm just assuming, but I bet they haven't been touched by war directly. Sure, they might've lost relatives and friends, but they aren't caught up in the midst of battle. They didn't have to fight in those wars." Heero by now was giving a very strange look. I laughed at his expression. "Let's just say I've dealt with war in my own unique way," I said smiling. Heero nodded in understanding. He didn't press the issue. 

"Point taken," he replied. His expression was flat and indifferent as he looked out onto the sea. 

~*~

                  The next morning I was at work, still thinking about my conversation with Heero. We didn't talk after that, we couldn't if we wanted to anyway. See, shortly after we ended it, Relena and Duo came up behind of us and drenched us with their water guns. Heero spent the rest of the time chasing Duo while Relena and I sat on the shore and laughed at them. But our talk still planted itself firmly on my mind. I could understand some of what Heero was feeling; I realized that we fought two completely different wars, though it was for the same objective. I could understand his frustration and his 'to hell with it' attitude. I won't even begin to try and remember the amount times I felt that way. 

But I was able to be optimistic because I knew my job was done, that I wouldn't have to fight any more of the wars I was involved in. I knew it was possible to attain perfect peace. Heero, on the other hand, had to live with the fact that he could be called back to fight at any possible time. And from his expression when he thought about that possibility, I could see it wasn't a pleasant experience. With a sigh, I walked into my office. After I put down my bag, I went to fill my makeshift vase with water. I stopped short as I picked it up. Yesterday, there were two roses in it; now there were three. I picked up the freshest looking white rose, looking as immaculate as usual. I opened the note and read the neat script. 

_Love is a haunting melody  
That I have never mastered  
And I fear I never will_

I frowned. It was sweet and all, but there was something tickling me at the back of my mind, but I couldn't figure out what it was. 

"Hey, Ames," Relena sauntered into my office at that exact moment and the sensation immediately disappeared. I sighed dejectedly and looked up at her. "Ooh, what's wrong?" she asked with a frown. I shook my head. 

"Nothing," I replied. "I got another rose." Relena smiled and walked over to me. I showed it to her and she sighed. 

"I swear to God, you are the luckiest girl I know," she said. "Anyway, that brings me to one of my reasons for bugging you so early. Heero invited me dancing tomorrow night, and I wanted to know if you would be interested." I shook my head. 

"I couldn't…" I started when Relena held up a finger. 

"If you don't come, I'm going to deduct it out of your pay," she said threateningly. "And besides, Duo already agreed." She smiled as I rolled my eyes. "No backing out."

"Fine," I said with a sigh. Relena grinned. 

"Payback's a bitch, ain't it?" she said happily. Once again I rolled my eyes, but with a smile this time. "Tomorrow night at around 8." 

"Whatever."

"You know you want to come," she said teasingly. "And the second reason I'm here is because we are going on a little trip." I looked around to her. 

"Trip? Where?"

"Colony LXI314," she sighed. "The president called me last night and begged for me to come see them. So, we'll be leaving Tuesday morning at around six. I'll give you your ticket this afternoon." I nodded. 

"Cool," I replied. Relena nodded. 

"Okay, well, I'll leave you now. I have some paperwork to write up," she said. She started to saunter back out when she walked back in.

"Ami…thanks," she said, smiling softly. I understood her words and nodded. Then Relena walked out. As soon as she closed the door, I picked up the phone and dialed a number. 

"_Speak"_ was the groggy reply I got. I checked my watch. 9:00 AM.

"Are you still in bed, Duo?" I asked with a frown. I heard a muffled yawn. 

_"I didn't have any classes today, so I figured I might as well sleep in," _he replied, his voice sounding slightly brighter. I giggled. He sounded kind of cute all sleepy and the like. I slapped myself mentally and very hard when I found myself wondering if he was shirtless. 

"Uh," I started, trying to blink that image out of my mind. "So you heard we have a date tomorrow night…with Relena and Heero," I added the last part hastily. 

"_Uh huh,_" he said with a yawn. _"Yeah, I'll pick you up at about 7:30."_

"Sure," I agreed. Duo muffled another yawn, much to my amusement. "I will let you get back to sleep now."

_"Yeah, you do that, babe,"_ he said gratefully. 

"See you tomorrow," I said. 

_"I'll be looking forward to it. See ya," _he replied. 

"Bye," I answered back and hung up. 

~*~

The next night I was sitting next to Duo in his convertible, racing down the freeway. It was a clear beautiful night, slightly humid and a gentle breeze played at my loose, now wavy hair. Yeah, the curls were slowly coming out. I was dressed in a black spaghetti strapped dress that skimmed my knees and a pair of black, open-toe, high-heeled, sling backs. I was feeling particularly happy tonight. 

"Things are working out between the two of them, huh?" I said indulgently. Duo sighed. 

"I never though I'd see it happen," he looked across at me. "But yeah. It seems like they're making progress." I sighed contently and stretched my arms lazily. 

"So, where are we going?" I asked. 

"This new bar that opened up: El Mariachi," he replied. I raised a brow. 

"A Spanish bar," I mused out loud. Lots of dance guaranteed. We pulled up outside a mid-sized building, Latino music blaring. A lot of people were milling around outside, not only from Spanish descent but also from other ethnic groups. We saw Heero and Relena immediately. Relena had her hair tied back into a low bun with a red flower behind her ear. She was wearing a red dress with long sleeves and a fair amount of cleavage that clung to her body, but flowed out at the knees in a large, tasteful flounce with a slit up the middle. She had a matching shawl over her shoulders and matching strappy shoes. Heero wore a simple white button up shirt and black pants. Relena waved at us as we got out of the car. 

"Night," we greeted and Relena and I hugged. We walked in together. Inside was just overwhelming. A there were people, people and even more people. Couples, groups of friends, people coming alone were all occupying the seemingly small room. There was a dance floor in the middle of the establishment with the tables placed around it. We caught one right next to the floor. Several people were on the floor dancing to a fast, pulsing Latino song, most of the women dressed similar to Relena. There was a lot of talking and laughter that flowed over the music. I loved it instantly. 

"_Buenos Noches, senors y senoritas_!" a cheerful yet sultry woman asked in perfect Spanish. She was naturally pretty, large brown eyes and a flawless olive complexion that stood out against her short black dress. Her dark auburn hair flowed in light curls over her shoulders to somewhere below her waist. "I'm Selena, your _camarera _for tonight. How may I help you?" Her English was flawless, yet she spoke with a heavy accent. We gave our orders to our waitress and she went off. It was then I noticed Duo took a clearly…evident liking to Selena. He was literally breaking his neck off trying to get a look at her as she walked off. 

"Ow!" Duo protested as I nudged him harder than I intended to in the ribs. "What was that for?"

"Just make it a tad bit more obvious, why don't you?" I said, my voice slight acid. Duo threw up his hands in defense. 

"Hey, I'm a guy, I do those sort of things," he argued. 

"Oh, don't go blaming your DNA, Duo," I retorted. "You're probably the only guy in here that will be needing a chiropractor just from checking out _Selena_." I didn't mean to spit her name out like that, but I did.

"Nuh uh!" Duo smiled as he took a quick glance around. Our waitress was coming back, and I saw I was wrong in my assumption about Duo being the only guy ogling. Every table she passed, the guys would stop what they were doing and stare. I could also see I wasn't the only female peeved by it. There were some very venomous looks going around. Selena didn't seem to notice or care. I rolled my eyes in defeat and slumped down in my chair. Only then did I notice that I was being watched. Relena looked like she was holding in some serious laughter while Heero had a slightly amused look on his face. 

"There you go," Selena said as she approached our table. She rested our drinks in front of us; Relena and I ordered Sprites and Duo and Heero took cokes. As she sauntered off, the whiplash phenomenon started again. 

"I give up," I groaned into my drink. 

"What was that?" Duo asked, still straining his neck. If there was one time I felt like unleashing my full Sailor Scout powers on a guy, this was it. Why, would be the big question. Sighing, I continued to sip my drink. 

                  An hour later, the amount of people present doubled. Nearly everyone was on the dance floor, moving to the hypnotic beat. I watched them as they danced, their movements holding me spellbound. Now on my second Sprite, I was feeling a little bubble of energy somewhere deep within me. I was tapped my feet to the rhythm and nodding my head as well. I looked back over at the others and I saw Heero and Relena were deep in conversation, though the din was so loud I couldn't hear what they were saying. 

"Hey Ami," Duo whispered in my ear. Slightly startled, I turned to look at him. "Let's dance." I obliged happily. We excused ourselves and got up from our seats. As we approached, Duo spun me out onto the dance floor, where we started to do the Paso Doble, translated to mean the Two Step, which we were doing last Friday. While I was dancing, I took little glances to our table once every few seconds to see what the other two were doing. 

"Ami," Duo said, turning my face gently to his one of the many, many times. "Don't make it look so obvious." I smiled sheepishly and nodded and we continued dancing. Okay, so I couldn't stop looking completely. I took some more glances, just that they were fewer and less conspicuous. 

                  In the middle of the third song, a lively Samba beat, I noticed something. Heero and Relena were getting up from the table. I kept my eyes on them, though I figured they were going onto the dance floor, but I guessed wrong; they were moving towards the back of the building, towards the door. Curious to see if that's what they were really doing, I leaned back a bit. They were making a slow and steady movement in that direction, definitely. But I still wasn't sure. I leaned back even more. By now I was vaguely aware of Duo telling me something and trying to tug me back up gently, but I was too taken up to notice. Just a bit more…

**_*THUD*_**

Much to my surprise, I suddenly found myself lying flat on my back, a dull pain radiating from my shoulder blades…in the middle of the dance floor. It then dawned on me that I had just lost my balance and fell. And you think that was embarrassing? You only heard the half of it. 

You see, Duo was trying to tell me to stop leaning back so much, and me being so stubborn, ignored him. Seeing as he was trying to pull me up, he was putting a good amount of his weight into it. So, basically, when I fell, he fell with me. 

There I was in the middle of the floor, dozens of people staring, with Duo's face hovering a few inches above mine (see, he put out his hands in time, so he didn't fall directly on top of me…oh the shame…). We were both panting from surprise and exertion. And something strange happened, something I hardly expected…

I started to laugh. Hard. I was laughing lustily and loudly, and it wasn't just to cover up my embarrassment. It was out of honest amusement. After a few seconds, Duo joined in, then the whole bar did. Everyone was still laughing, include Duo, and myself when we got up. The other patrons eventually went back to dancing. 

"Oh, God," I said between giggles, waving my hands around when Duo helped me up. "So sorry." Duo shrugged, still grinning. 

"Do I look upset?" he asked. One look at his amused face and I started to laugh again. 

"Come on, let's dance," I said, finally catching my senses. Duo spun me out again and as he did I looked around. Heero and Relena were gone. 

Another long chapter…I typed like a demon. Nine pages, people! Okay, thanks for reading and don't forget to review! 


	15. Chapter 15

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 15

Disclaimer: You know the drill…I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon, nor do I have any hopes or prospects of owning them. Thank you. 

                  Ooh, has anyone ever watched Caillou on PBS? No I don't actually like the kid, but I do love Gilbert, Matthew and especially Rexy!! I LOVE Rexy!!!!! Oh, he's so _cute_!! REXY!!!!

                  Also, say 'Hi' to my cuz, Demon Angel Fyre! She has a cool Digimon fic up, so you might want to check it out. 

                  And I can't say 'Thank you' enough for everyone who has been reading and those of you who reviewed. I hope I'm not giving you guys premature hypertension and crap like that, am I?

                  Oh, does anyone know of any good Setsuna/Zechs or Setsuna/Treize fics? Or, even better, one with a triangle made up of the above mentioned. Oh, I've been dying to read one!

Q or C and A: 

Ladymiaka11: Thank you! Yes, I now realize they are hard to find. I'll try to update as quickly as I can, don't worry. 

Kid: Well, I didn't know guys liked my fics (yes, this goes to you too, IL195). But hey, I ain't complaining! Wicked Lady, you say…tell me, is she as crazy as she is on FF.net on a regular basis? Yes, hon, I _love _dropping cliffhangers…didn't Jenna (is that her real name?) tell you? Yeah, Duo's cool, he ties with Wufei for second fave. Mars is my fave planet…fave scout, also and I love cherries! Pathetic, no! I am, since I get pleasure out of torturing you peeps…quite sadistic, as Demon Angel Fyre would say. As for going on and on and on…yeah, I've got 16 more chapters to put up. Yes, we have a lot more suspense to go. And yes, cliffhangers. Thanks for reading! 

Demon Angel Fyre: Well, it took you long enough!

Korino Megami no Tanagai: Well, the white rose symbolizes innocence and purity…yeah, I like them too. And a little secret: the suspense might not last for very long…

Arella Hallo: Uh…yes ma'am!

WikeD tEnShI: What is going on? *shrugs* Who knows?

Silver Star: Thanks for the notice, I definitely have to read it!

Cocheta: *hums* 

Wicked Lady: Why Heero? What do you mean? Me, like what? Torture? *Innocent look* No, seriously, I'm not being obnoxious or anything, but what do you mean by 'Why Heero?' I'm just curious, really. 

*Laughs* I KNEW you would say that! I just knew it! That's why I did it! Ha! Wufei, huh? You're right, no one would expect that…Quatre too…But of course! Any child of Duo's would be so fine!!!! *sigh* Thanks for the publicity, by the way. I think I might start being nice to you…*thinks about it, shakes head* NAH!

IL195: *smiles sweetly, sing-song voice* You still didn't answer my question…

SweetAngels3: Aw, guess that means I have to get off my lazy ass and go look for them… Thank you!

Minimerc: Yeah!!! Though I drink Sprite more coke, it still rules! Of course, I get hyper off it, but that's another story! Glad you're enjoying it. As for Hee-chan's thoughts, I can't really do that, since it's told from Ami's POV. Sorry!

Jchild: I wonder too. I mean, you can never know with these peeps. Um, I got inspiration for the falling thing from my own personal experience…let's say it involved: Me in heels, some seriously steep stairs and a guy I met the same night…

Oldestof3: Oh, the cliffy! My bad!

Meio-chan: It's not that bad…it's quite funny if you think about it…*snickers* Ah, so, you know, huh?

Jessica: No cliffy? *cackles* Something else? What do you mean by something else? *innocent look*

Mink: All in due time, hon, all in due time…You used to write Digimon fiction at one point? 

Za Kaze no Nisou: Kill me? Innocent me? *Pleading look*

Cosmic Raye: Thank you *Bows graciously*

Angel Anne: Where indeed?

Kaiya: *sugary sweet voice* Kaiya, darling…you okay? *Laughs* Yes, we all are, just make sure you've picked up the pace long before report time comes around!

Oh, and Cappuccino is responding very well to her training! See? *smiles broadly* Cappuccino, sit! *frowns* Sit! Cappuccino, sit! *frowns deeper* Uh…*blanches when Cappuccino runs in direction of mother's rose garden* Cappuccino! For the love of God! Come back! *runs after wayward dog…* 

Spooky Fyre: See, it's not that long. Just make sure you don't waste too much time and concentrate on your schoolwork, k? Before you know it, you'll be wearing one of those hot, stifling gowns!

Mystic Silver: Yes, ma'am!

Amanda: I wonder too…

Amy: Glad you do! And it will get better, trust me! *mysterious smile*

~*~

                  After our little 'accident', Duo and I danced the night away. Exactly what time I went home, I don't know, although I know it was later than I did last Friday. I know, though, that when Duo was driving me home, the eastern section of the sky was lightening up a bit. Well, we didn't hear or see Heero or Relena again, so I take it things went really well. 

                  I pondered this and much more the next afternoon as I soaked in my bathtub. The exotic orange blossom bubble bath fragrance was so invigorating; I definitely needed it, since I woke up around noon. I had the headphones from my portable CD player over my ears, listening to a new age classical CD. I was now being serenaded by the vocal stylings of Charlotte Church as she sang the Ave Maria. 

                  My mind was now focused back to the night before. My feet were aching from the heels I was wearing. But it didn't matter. I smiled indulgently. I really _am_ good at this matchmaking thing! If I could get two supremely stubborn people like Heero and Relena to put aside their issues from their first relationship and have another go at it. I know I was starting to sound too confident, but I couldn't help it! I giggled, feeling quite giddy. That feeling becoming common, nowadays, I noticed. 

                  But I frowned. What if it didn't work out? What if this was just an…old-times sake thing? Not a one-night fling, but…you know. Well, I'd have to see, won't I? I sighed, sinking deeper into the tub. A lively piece of violin music was now playing and I found myself nodding along to it. But something was still at the back of my mind. I found myself still thinking about my conversation with Heero on Thursday. I remembered his assessment of me, about my being innocent. He said it with such sincerity and awe, like he couldn't believe there was someone who still held such a pure view of the world. Why not? I knew I was right. 

But he was right too. There is so much going on in the world today that one has to wonder: What's the sense? Why should we care? I sighed. I knew there were reasons why we should; I named some of them Thursday, but I could understand where Heero was coming from. God, I was letting that one little conversation take over my free time!

Then, that feeling came back, the one I felt yesterday when I was looking at my newest rose before Relena came in; the feeling that I was close to discovering something. It was a very annoying sensation, but I tried to press on. I was close in knew it, but I didn't know what it was. Oh, just press it, Ami!

The phone rang, shattering my fragile concentration. With a groan, I took off my headphones and reached for my cordless phone.

"Hello?" I answered with a sigh.

_"You busy?" _the voice I recognized as Duo's replied. I raised a brow. 

"Uh…" I shrugged. "No, not really."

_"Okay, do you think you can meet in front of Roxanne's in half an hour?" _he asked. I could hear the excitement in his voice. 

"Sure, why not?" I said with a smile. 

_"Okay, cool, see you then,"_ he replied

"Bye," I said and hung up. I got out of the tub immediately and went to my room. For the next fifteen minutes, I dried myself and put on some clothes; a simple blue spaghetti strap top with a scoop neckline, a pair of white shorts and the Sketchers I found in the hotel room. I put my hair into a loose bun, teasing out the ends that I didn't tuck in. Then I called a cab and was soon on my way to Roxanne's. At exactly three thirty, I was leaning against the wall of the restaurant for Duo to arrive. 

Five minutes didn't pass by when I heard the roar of an engine. I turned my attention from the busy street where I was expecting to see Duo's black convertible to the parking lot. I frowned slightly, because something was approaching me, a motorcycle to be exact. I couldn't see the person because a pitch-black helmet covered the head. I took a few steps back, quite unconsciously, when it pulled up in front of me. You'd think hanging around Haruka and Rei I would've gotten used to loud engines revving up next to me. 

Presently the person steadied the bike. The engine was still running, though it was more of a soft, purring sound. I raised my brows as the helmet came off. 

"Duo?" I asked uncertainly. Well, the braid was there as proof. He settled the helmet under his arm and grinned at me. 

"You like?" he asked eagerly. I had to give a small smile. It _was _beautiful. The bike was black and sleek and so highly polished, it reflected the sunlight. Lines of silver, made of a different, less reflective metal, ran between the black body. Two powerful mufflers sat at the back, on either side of the bike. I was strangely transfixed by it. 

"It's gorgeous," I breathed. Duo's grin got even larger. 

"Good. Hop on," that definitely snapped me out of my reverie. 

"Hop on?" I repeated dumbfounded. Duo nodded. 

"Yeah, I got a helmet for you right here," he replied, taking an azure helmet from a handlebar. I was stunned, to say the least. I thought he probably wanted to show it to me; I didn't know he actually wanted me to get on it. I immediately started to fumble for excuses. 

"Uh…I don't think that's a good idea…" I started. Duo frowned. 

"You aren't scared, are you?" he asked gently, not at all teasing. Hell yeah! I wanted to say. My mind went back to a particular accident Haruka had that resulted in her breaking an arm and a leg, not to mention suffering a concussion. 

"Uh…" I couldn't answer; I didn't exactly want to seem chicken. Something left over from grade school. Duo seemed to understand. 

"Listen, you have nothing to be afraid of," he said with a half smile. "I'll drive carefully. The last thing I want to do is hurt you." He then stretched out a hand. "Trust me."

Okay, every time a guy told a girl to trust him, chaos followed. 'Trust me' he says when he's offering you your first beer. Later you're in the bathroom throwing up even what you didn't eat. 'Trust me' he says when he tells you to sneak out to meet him, only you get caught by your parents and you're grounded indefinitely. 'Trust me' he says when you're alone together in a nice, dark place. Then you end up standing in your bathroom with a friend, living through the most stressful three minutes of your entire life. Of course I wasn't speaking from experience; I just knew. 

These scenarios were flying at the speed of light through my head as I stood there, looking at his hand. But for once, I ignored them. They screamed at banshee pitch as I took his hand. Duo smiled as he put on my helmet. I then climbed onto the motorcycle, sitting behind of him. 

"Hold on tightly," he advised before revving the engine again. Even through the thick helmet, the noise was deafening. We were moving a few seconds after. 

It was a very…different experience. The breeze, which was gentle and soft, was now hard and rough as it passed over my skin, through my hair. It was also kind of uncomfortable, knowing I couldn't lean back, unless I wanted to crack my head open on the street. The body of the bike was smooth against my thighs and warmed from the engine, which was no longer roaring but now lowered to a steady hum. I clutched Duo's waist, as we swung away from some oncoming traffic, suddenly aware of how exposed I was, come the worst. I took several deep breaths before closing my eyes. 

The next time I opened them, it was to a totally different scene. The road was deserted, and I recognized the stretch as the one we took to get to the beach. Sure enough, the sparkling blue sea soon came into view. I sighed contentedly and watched as the waves lapped softly on the fine sand, realizing lazily that I was no longer afraid. I loosened my grip on Duo's middle, figuring that he was probably asphyxiating by now. The bike's smooth, non-swerving movements were surprising calming and I found myself quite relaxed. I closed my eyes again, this time not out of fear, but because the overwhelming urge to sleep had suddenly descended. I noted sleepily that we had turned. The sun was now longer shining full blast on me, but I was cooler. I opened my eyes and realized we were now driving under a canopy of trees. The sunlight was now streaming through tiny spaces between the branches and leaves. Wild floral bushes grew along the sides of the road, their flowers in full and colorful bloom. Butterflies flitted to and fro among the flowers and I could hear birds singing high above me. I took in all of this with a very peaceful temperament.

We slowed down gradually as Duo pulled off to the side of the road and stopped the bike. We got off and Duo guided it over to a small alcove. Then he turned to me and smiled. 

"This is the fun part," he said with a mysterious smile and a glint in his eyes. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a black bandana. He folded it lengthwise until it was about five inches across. "I'm gonna put this over your eyes," he announced. I raised a brow.

"Whatever for?" I asked a challenge in my voice. Duo began to approach me. 

"You'll see," he said. I smiled and let him tie the cloth over my eyes. 

"How many fingers do I have up?" Duo asked. I rolled my eyes—the I did my best under the circumstances. 

"Does it matter?" I replied. I heard him chuckle. He took my arm and I soon felt him leading me along a little path. It was as cool as the last bit of road we drove down and I could smell the sweet fragrance the flowers exuded. It was a short walk, because after five minutes, we stopped. 

"Okay, here we go," I heard Duo say and I felt him untying the bandanna. As it came away from my eyes, I saw what he had brought me hear to see. I gasped. 

Ha! Okay, hang me, maul me, lynch me, whatever. Just remember without me, you won't know the outcome. No, Kaiya, you won't get my book; I got Cappuccino under control now! This will be my last update for a few weeks, k?  


	16. Chapter 16

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 16

Disclaimer: The only reason I keep repeating myself is because I've been advised by my lawyer to do so. So, I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon because I don't have the creative genius to come up with such remarkable shows. I don't even have shares in either of the companies, so there you go. 

*Scratches back of head* Uh, I don't think I ever recall being called evil so many times under the same set of circumstances… 

You thought my cliffy was evil? Have any of you ever read 'The Vampire Lestat'? THAT was a cliffhanger. Oh my God, I _cried_ when I saw that…Oh, well, I'm reading 'Queen of the Damned' right now, so I'm kind of happy…I nearly went crazy during those two days I had to wait for it, so imagine those poor people who had to wait three YEARS for it to be published…

Q or C and A:

Demon Angel Fyre: You know what? Damn you! People don't listen to her! She's mad, I tell you, mad!!!! Yes, but you see, High School's uniforms are a dull, drab blue. Ami's clothes are a nice vibrant blue! I swear to God them peeps need to change the uniform…

Jessica: No, you shouldn't have! *cackles* Anyways, I'll let up on y'all…for now anyways…

Kid: I guess so. I'm just guessing, cause you see, my dad gathered me and my siblings together and told us 'if I catch any of y'all on a motorbike while I'm driving down the road, I'll knock y'all off of it'. *sigh* oh, well, there's always university! 

Well, I've had a guy friend tell me that my stories are too sappy for his soul, so I kind of thought…*shrugs* 

Aren't we all? Oh, I'll email you later down in the week. 

Oldestof3: I wonder too…

Mercury Ice Storm: Damn me?! Damn me?! Do you know how long I've been waiting for the fifth chapter of 'Finding Someone to Love'? Girl, I'm grieving for that chapter, so I think I'm going to die before you do. Update for the love of God! Please!

Myst Lady: You have trouble updating stuff? Honey, the amount of unfinished stories I have on the Net is no longer a laughing matter…I started reading The Count and the Guardian, but I had to get off the computer…*sigh* I'll read Guns and Roses as soon as I can, I swear. Thanks again. Oh, and if you do post up that story, let me know, please!

Mink: You didn't mind the cliffy? *laughs insanely* Never? Okay, my bad…

WikeD tEnShI: *laughs* Sorry, but…I don't know…the temptation…yeah…

Meio-chan: Okay, okay! Read on, then! So, you do? At any rate, the suspense won't last for very long…

Autumn Ice: Oh, yes…school, oh so wonderful school…*sighs in a depressed way* I haven't fallen asleep in any classes yet, so I guess I'm holding out fairly well…No, it's a very good place!

Gaeamaker13: I know, hon, I know…but I love it!

Kate: Maybe she will, maybe she won't…*smiles*

Kaiya: No, there isn't…most fortunately for me! 

Cappuccino IS coming along just fine! * looks at dog who is giving her a mutinous look* She's just upset 'cause I didn't give her any doggie treats today! Hmph!

You'll live, BTW. *evil cackle*

Jchild: But of course you don't…very bad things happen when you do. *laughs* Me? Mean? Nasty? Nooooo…say it ain't so! *laughs again*

Arella Hallo: *gulps* Just _how _much of a bruisin' am I cruisin' for? *whimpers* I bruise very easily, you know…

Amy: Evilest? Read 'The Vampire Lestat'…now _that _was the evilest of evil cliffies…*mutters about the nerve and evilness of Anne Rice*

Silver Star: No, they aren't…at least, when I'm not on the receiving end…

Doom: *blinks stupidly and confused, remembers learning how to treat…these particular type of people* Yeah! How'd you guess? You must be psychic! 

Crystal Dragon: *bows graciously* you still love me, don't you? 

Minimerc: Yes, I do! It's my fave pastime! No, seriously, I sit down and try to figure out how I can cliffhanger a chapter…you don't believe me, do you? 

Amanda: Gomen! I promise, I'll make it up to you in this chapter! 

IL195: *gasp* Omigod! You laughed! 

Eternal Sailor Mercury: Read 'The Vampire Lestat'. As I said, THAT was evil…Oh; you're quite evil yourself! A month?! I don't think I'm that evil…*cackles, blinks* Ahem, yes, and…what do you plan to do with the scythe? I will make time to read your fic, by the way. 

ChibiTenshi: *curtseys* Why Thank you!

~*~

"Oh…" that was all I could say. I put a hand to my mouth in disbelief, barely able to hide it. "Oh…" These were things one read about in books or saw in movies. Never before had I been so close to something like this. I had never been within walking distance of castle. 

That wasn't what surprised me the most, however. For some reason, I had this opinion that castles were ugly, cumbersome structures that only served to remind the world of the tyrants and despots disguised as rulers the Dark Ages produced. Never had I seen one so beautiful. 

It was gracefully large and seemed to be an extension of the cliff it was perched on. The usually dull and dreary grey stones seemed to be made of glow in the afternoon sun. The towers, placed at intervals, seemed to reach up and touch the clear cerulean sky, and even from my vantage point, I could make out several windows, which seemed to be made of stained glass. I was in awe, to say the least. In Japan, we had palaces. They were beautiful, but it was a refined beauty. This castle before me had a rugged charm to it. I closed my eyes and I saw knights walking around in their armor, their strong stallions decked with beautiful silk fabrics. Women wearing heavy wool gowns and cone-looking hats wrapped with sheer fabrics matching their dresses, up in the castle, looking over balconies, waving silk kerchiefs at them. I could smell the heavy musk of the spies brought back from my country, being added to traditional English stews and puddings. 

"I take it you're impressed," Duo said, bringing me back from my little fantasy. To tell the truth, I was so wrapped up in my reverie, I forgot he was there. I smiled back up at him. 

"Of course," I replied breathlessly. "This is the kind thing I love." I barely contained my excitement. 

"I thought so," he nodded and started out to the bottom of the cliff. "Let's go up." I ran eagerly to catch up with him. For about ten minutes, we hiked up the cliff. This was when I found myself wondering if Duo was a mountain goat in another life or something because he climbed up the rocky terrain like it was a walk in the park. I, on the other hand, was panting before we had even reached halfway up. Duo helped me the last quarter of the way. And to think I should be fit. 

We finally reached after what seemed like an eternity. Once again, I was stupefied. The structure was even more impressive up close. I was keenly aware of the great height, because I really couldn't see the towers as clearly when I looked up. I guess it should've have been just like standing in front of a skyscraper, or even less impressive. But while there was skyscrapers three times the height of this castle, they didn't have nine hundred years of history under their belts. 

"Do you want to go inside?" Duo asked. I nodded and he led me along the length of the castle until we were at a plain wooden door. I was surprised to see that it was still intact, knowing that it was quite possibly a millennium old. He opened it (it was also functioning) and we walked in quietly. 

Today was a day for awe-inspiring moments it seemed, because I was speechless for the third time in half an hour. While the castle was stripped of the finery it possessed in its glory days, I figured it more beautiful now. The roof had caved in in certain places; sometimes in big portions, whole sections of it were gone, sometimes in small areas no more than a foot across. This allowed the sunlight to shine through in the most interesting ways. The stained glass windows I saw earlier allowed some sunlight to stream through, painting a colorful mural on the stone floor. All in all, it had a barren beauty to it. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" it wasn't a questioned, nor was it directed to me. Duo mused seemed to just whisper it to the wind. 

"Yes," I replied, nevertheless. Duo seemed to experience the same thing I did earlier; he looked at me like he was wondering how I got there. It only lasted for a few seconds, though. "Do you know the history?" I asked when he snapped out of it. 

"Yeah," he answered. We were walking down a hallway. I found I loved it immensely, simply because of the way the sunlight filtered through. At the beginning of it, darkness, but further down was a huge pool of sunlight. As we passed under the open area in the roof, Duo started. 

"It was built in the 12th century, around 1140, to be exact. A retired knight called Hugh the Relentless was lord of this castle. Let's just say his name suited him, huh?" Duo looked down on me for my approval. I smiled and nodded. He took this as his cue to continue. "For the sake of the story, I'll tell you he was a very stubborn man. Hugh felt what he said was law and he expected people to follow, no excuses. Anyway, he had three sons, John, Richard and Edward. Richard and Edward were older and therefore more obliging to their father, but John, the youngest, was more free-spirited and headstrong. He and his father argued about everything; from politics to tenant issues. And it wasn't always verbal either." Now, we passed from under the sunlight into darkness. The hallway now branched off into two directions. We took the one to the left. We were now in a large room, with a long, thick, wooden table in the middle of it. I guessed this was the dining room because of the broken down chairs strewn near it and a large fireplace. 

"John often resisted his father and succeeded," Duo continued as we walked along the table. I ran my fingers over it, desperate to touch something in this place, knowing I would've touched a piece of history. A thick, grimy layer of dust covered my fingers. "However, Hugh would win the most important argument. Seeing as he was a knight, Hugh wanted John to follow in his footsteps. His older sons were well on the way, so he felt justified. In fact, he wanted John to be a part of the Crusades. John protested bitterly. For the next few days, the two of them argued over it, until finally Hugh presented his son with an ultimatum, join the Crusades or lose your inheritance. John was pissed, to say the least, but he agreed." 

By now we were out of the living room and walking down another hallway. This time it was a bit wider and darker, seeing as the roof was intact. Along the length of the hall, there were more stained glass windows, which created a surreal, almost dream-like atmosphere as the sunlight caught and projected their colors. They depicted scenes of the Crusades as well as biblical themes. 

"So, he went on the Fourth Crusade in 1189, hating his father more than ever. John was unprepared for the harshness of the Crusades. Men dying around him from the brutal cold and starvation, the overwhelming feeling of loneliness though he was around thousands of people, it's enough to make anyone's willpower break. But John somehow survived to see Jerusalem." 

We now came upon a staircase. Above it, impossible to miss, was a large coat-arms. It depicted a giant foot crushing a snake, which had its fangs buried into the ankle of its anonymous assailant. Around it were some Latin words: 'Nemo Me Impune Lacessit', roughly translated meaning: 'Let Him Who Would Offend Me Beware!' I found it fitting. We made our way up. 

"The story between there was lost, except for this part: He fell in love." Duo sighed as he said this. "He met a Jewish peasant girl there and after a short courtship, they decided to run away together. However, John, for some weird reason, wanted to come back here." I frowned at this. Did he expect his father to accept them? We were now on the landing and we faced yet another long hallway. This time, there were little pinpricks of light shining through. 

"So, the both of them found their way back to England and to this castle. When John told his father that he planned to marry this girl with or without his blessing, Hugh flew into a rage. He denounced his son and threatened to take away his inheritance if he didn't forget about the girl. But John already made his decision." Duo led me into a room. It was of a comfortable size with a large window facing us. All the glass and panes had been removed or broken out because the window was completely empty. 

"A fight ensued, which eventually got physical. John's unofficial fiancée came in and tried to get Hugh off John as he was chocking him, telling him he will kill him before he would disgrace his family name. She tried to pulled Hugh off, but he was stronger. Whether it was accidental or not, we don't know, but Hugh slapped the girl. She stumbled back, unable to regain her balance…" Duo pointed straight ahead of us. "And fell out of the window."

I gasped, quite involuntarily. I now understood why the glass and panes had been completely broken out. The window was big enough to accommodate a fully-grown person comfortably. 

"What did John do?" I asked softly. Duo shrugged. 

"Never said. That's where the story ends," he replied, a hint of sadness in his voice. I walked over to the window and reluctantly peered down. Sharp, jagged rocks greeted me. I closed my eyes, imagining myself falling down from this window. Having the rocks tear at my flesh and impale me. I considered the possibility that she mightn't have died immediately, John's nameless love. Oh, the unimaginable pain she must have felt. I sighed, feeling tears standing in my eyes. I could feel the pain in this room, the sorrow. It was almost tangible. 

"Hey," he said, coming up behind me. I looked up and he tilted my chin upwards with his fingers. "I didn't bring you here to make you depressed." I smiled.

"I know but…" I started, sighing, but Duo cut me off. 

"Come on. Let's dance," he said, taking my hands in his and pulling from the window. I laughed. 

"There isn't any music," I protested. Duo shrugged. 

"So?" he replied. He took me in his arms and started to hum a waltz-styled song. Soon, we were twirling around the room, laughing. I soon joined in his humming. I loved the tune; it was lively, but melancholy at the same time. 

"What are the words to this song?" I asked, one of the times he spun me back in. Duo wrinkled his nose. Then he smiled. 
    
    "I don't know," he confessed. "But we can make up our own." I laughed, Duo once again delighting me with his casual absurdity. "Uh…" he looked like he was in deep thought, though he still led me gracefully around the room. " 'I been so many places I seen so many faces,'" I cracked up when I realized he was singing the chorus of Eminem's 'Purple Hills' perfectly in tune with the waltz. 
    
    "What?" he asked, like he was doing something perfectly normal. I laughed even harder. " 'We're meant to be together, I'll be there and you'll be near and that's the deal my dear,'" Now he sang Shakira's 'Whenever, Wherever'. I hung my head back and laughed louder than ever. 
    
    " 'Ugly!"' I sang out the chorus to Bubba Sparxxx's hit single. Duo started to laugh. We were twirling and spin like crazy; the room was a blur. Duo started to hum the tune of the song and we started to sing it, as loudly and tunelessly as possible. It was quite humorous, seeing as we really didn't know the lyrics and we started to improvise. Soon we got into playful arguments on the lyrics. I vaguely realized that I was waltzing to a hip-hop song. 
    
    A few minutes later, I realized we were slowing down. We were still singing the song, but not as uproariously as before. We weren't even waltzing anymore; it was more like rotating slowly on a spot. 
    
    I looked up at Duo, into his brilliant blue eyes, and I also realized I was feeling lightheaded. Whether it was from the waltzing or what, I didn't know. We had stopped singing a few minutes aback. He was looking down at me as I gazed at him. 
    
    "Look into my eyes," Duo started to sing, softly. I noted that he didn't sound that bad, in fact he sounded perfectly divine. This wasn't the voice that was waking the dead and killing them again ten minutes ago. This was clear, smooth baritone. I found myself swaying slightly, but not once did I take my eyes off of him. And he stayed focused on me. 
    
    "You will see, what you mean to me," he went on, his voice still hypnotic. We weren't moving at all now. 
    
    "Search your heart, search your soul. And when you find me there you'll search no more," his voice was down to a whisper now, but I could hear each word crystal clear. I was definitely dizzy now, because I could feel my knees about ready to give out. I still didn't know why. 
    
    We were absolutely still now, I stopped swaying just a while ago. We were in the middle of the large, breezy room, sunlight streaming in; it gave me a sleepy feeling. Or maybe it was from staring into Duo's eyes for so long. 
    
    Duo tilted my chin gently with his fingers, so I got a clearer view of his eyes. I noticed they weren't just blue, but also a sort of violet that reflected green as well. 
    
    Slowly, he lowered his face to mine. Instinctively, I lowered my lashes. I guess I knew what was coming; I just didn't know when I realized. Perhaps I knew all along. I could feel his breath on my lips, warm and sweet. I tightened my grip on his hand slightly. 
    
    Oh, his lips touched mine ever so softly, so tenderly. They were like the butterfly kisses a child gives you, their lashes brushing lightly on your cheek. Only this time they sent waves of feeling over me. I felt suddenly light, the dizziness intensifying. His lips moved from my lips to the corner of my mouth and I heard someone moan. Whether it was Duo or I, I couldn't tell. Duo pulled his hand from mine and cradled the back of my head, his fingers caressing my scalp, running through my hair. Tentatively, slowly, I put my arms around his neck, my hands running gingerly along his nape. His hair was so soft, so smooth; it was almost dreamlike. 
    
    My hair tumbled out of my ponytail holder, and Duo pulled me closer to him. His lips were moving slowly, so torturously slow along my jaw-line. My head lulled to the side as I moaned softly. My hands walked along his shoulders, gripping them every few moments as Duo sent waves of pleasure over me. His hand, the one that wasn't in my hair, ran along my arm, raising goose pimples in its wake. Oh, this was so unlike anything I've ever felt before. I vaguely realized that this was my very first kiss. 
    
    Duo settled a slow, long kiss below my earlobe before he pulled away much to my dismay. I then noticed my eyes had been closed. I opened them slowly, still reeling from what just took place. I sighed deeply. 
    
    "Are you okay?" he asked me softly. No, no I wasn't, I wanted to say. Instead I put my words into action.
    
    I must've shocked Duo, because I know I was stunned, I pulled his face to mine and planted my lips on his. A song ran through my head as I did so:
    
    _And I feel so light _
    
    _This is all I wanna feel tonight_
    
    _Tonight I feel so light_
    
    _Tonight and the rest of my life. _
    
    Oh! I am done!!!!! Whew, I was supposed to have this up since Monday! Well, things are definitely heating up, huh? What's your favorite shape? Oh, that thing about Ami's first kiss; if I'm wrong, please excuse me because to tell the truth, I didn't watch much of Sailor Moon. Sorry! 


	17. Chapter 17

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Big one, now: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon, I don't own Duo's motorcycle (one can only dream), I don't own the guy 'Hugh the Relentless', the name comes from a novel, 'Mystique' by Amanda Quick. Uh, I don't own the songs 'Ugly', 'Purple Hills', 'Whenever Wherever' or 'I Do It For You'…Heero's car, the song 'Cleaning out my Closet' (that belongs to Eminem, don't own him either).  Okay, that's it for now…I think…

Yeah, I've been listening to 'The Eminem Show' every day for the past few weeks…unedited. Skip Track 9 people…for the sake of your sanity, skip 'Drips'…

Sorry for the annoying way the last few paragraphs of the last chapter came out…I was copy and pasting the lyrics of those songs…

The song Duo sang to Ami was supposed to be 'Come What May' from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack. Not that song…*rolls eyes*

Oh, I think I must be giving you peeps a preview of my upcoming fics. I'll do that at the end of this chapter, k?

Oh, and for anyone who cares: I made prefect, yo!!! First years beware!

Yes, onto the Q or C and A:

Valysis: I'm glad you loved it, considering this was the first time I've posted up a fic with a kissy-scene. I will read your other chapters; I'll make sure that I do.

LadyMiaka11: So lucky…you've got a guy. A very sweet one, I bet. Oh, well, I wish you the best of luck. Thank you for the glowing compliments. Anne Rice, you say? Hmm, well, the attempted philosophical debates thing, I'm borrowing that from her. 

Wicked Lady: Glad to see I made your day…or was it your week? Uh, your whining had a…how could I say this…strong, yeah, strong influence on that chapter…marry him? Hmm.

Kid: Sad? I was being influenced by Eminem, so sad may not be the word to describe it…*laughs*. I enjoyed writing the dancing scene, and I'm so sorry about the stretched out part thingy; that was because I was too lazy to type out the lyrics. Well, I guess I'll have to glomp her for that one, huh?

Meio-chan: Whomever are you talking about? 

WikeD tEnShI: There can be miracles…

Phoenix: Uh…You wouldn't do that, would you Hee-chan?

*Heero quirks a brow* What makes you think so?

*Zarabeth smiles charmingly* Because you love me!

*Heero throws back his head and laughs loudly, Zarabeth pouts*

Oldestof3: Yeah, circles are cool…but I love triangles!

Jessica: Detailed…actually, I could do worse…that's what happens when you read romance novels as much as I do…

Mercury Ice Storm: *jumps around the room, clapping hands* Yay!!! Ooh, I can't wait!!! 

Silver Star: Blue eyes, black hair…I always had a thing for guys with dark hair and beautiful blue eyes…*swoons; flutters fingers, coquettish smile, flirty voice* Hi Bob!

Omigod! I corrupted Li!!! *Laughs insanely*

Crystal Dragon: Okay, we have this blue dress with a button up bodice and we have to wear a belt to prevent it from making us look totally fat and shapeless *rolls eyes* actually, I'd prefer knee socks. Seriously, I would. Cliffhanger…not yet at least!

Minimerc: You do? Okay…*mutters something about not being able to lie very well* Hmm.

Autumn Ice: I must admit, it _is _fun to write…

Myst Lady: Well, when you do, let me know please!

Kaiya: I finished 'Queen of the Damned' about two weeks ago. Damn, I love that book. I read 'Pandora' too. I'm yet to read 'Merrick' and 'Tale of the Body Thief' is begging me to read it. Oh, I have a little message for you at the end of this chapter…*cackles*

Eternal Sailor Mercury: *brightens* Oh, okay. Sure, you can chase mine away anytime…just watch where you swing that thing, huh?

~*~

                  Well, I guess it's safe to say that I was on cloud nine. The images of our kiss kept flashing through my mind. I vividly remembered every moment, every movement emblazoned on my consciousness. And the fact that I kissed him back immediately afterwards. I was beyond shocked when we pulled away from each other. Yes, pulled, or at least I had to. 

                  And the way Duo smiled at me, the way he stroked my cheek, tucked my stray strands behind my ear made me blush. I was beginning to realize how complicated my feelings were, I couldn't even identify the feelings that were coursing through me. It frustrating. I usually knew what I wanted, what I felt. I was always in control of my emotions. I was _always in control. _And all of that went out of the window in a few minutes. 

                  Why did I let him kiss me? Or more importantly, why did I kiss him back? Why did I feel so feverish suddenly, why did my knees feel like they were going to buckle under me? Why were my suddenly heightened nerves replaying every sensation that was flowing through me during the past few minutes? I knew the confusion was showing on my face, because I felt myself frowning heavily. 

That was when Duo smiled and touched me, sending my heart wild once again. I wanted to pull away, but I couldn't. I didn't want to. 

"Confused?" he asked simply, softly. I looked away from him at that point. I didn't want him to see the utter bewilderment in my eyes, as if he didn't see it already. But I did try to offer an explanation.

"I'm not used to…" I began, before sighing in irritation. "I don't know."

"How do you feel?" he asked patiently. By now I was out of his arms. I was pacing around the room in a frenzy, rubbing my temples. 

"I am so confused right now," I groaned. I looked up at him a matter a factly. "At this moment, I can't even tell you if I'm hungry; that's how messed up I am." I saw Duo smile, attempting to hold in laughter. I felt my temper surge. 

"It's not funny!" I declared hotly, throwing my hands in the air. Duo waved a hand in submission. 

"I know, I know," he said calmly. His eyes twinkled, however. "It's just your analogy, I found it amusing." I rolled my eyes angrily. I couldn't believe he wasn't taking this seriously. Duo must've sensed the reason for my vexation because nodded solemnly. 

"I understand, don't get me wrong," he said. I still had my arms folded. "I understand you never had a guy as handsome as myself fawning over you…" if he said that in an attempt to lift my spirits, it worked. At least slightly, because I felt the corners of my mouth moving upwards. Duo smiled as well as he approached me. "It's not love you're feeling, I'll be honest with you; we don't know each other well enough for it to develop that much, but it's a sort of…" he trailed off, looking for a word which I promptly supplied.

"Excitement," I said with a shrug. He nodded. 

"Yeah, excitement, that comes when you're attracted to a person," he stepped closer to me, gazing into my eyes. "See, when I stand this close to you and stare into your eyes like this, your breathing becomes erratic." Duo said softly. I took several deep breaths to regulate my breathing. Duo smirked. He lifted my hand in his and I felt my pulse quicken, my blood rush to my face. 

"I touch you and your heart rate accelerates," he held my hand in his softly, gently. Entwining his fingers into mine, his raised them to his lips. He spoke softly, his breath warm against my now sensitive palm. "Your sense of touch has intensified, your skin is very sensitive to the slightest…" he lowered his lips to the palm of my hand and kissed it tenderly, deliberately, "…stimulus." Oh, I felt that kiss in every nerve cell throughout my body. I suddenly wanted him to kiss me again, to feel his lips against mine. 

"It's a chemical reaction, really; Mother Nature's plan to continue the species," Duo continued before kissing the back of my hand. He looked up at me and smiled. "But it feels damn good."

I realized that I was getting a free Biology lesson from a guy. A guy that I met a week ago. A guy that I just kissed. And it was _way_ more interesting than anything I learnt in school. And it made perfect sense. 

"So what you're trying to say," I replied, finding my voice finally, "is that all these feelings, physical and emotional combined is the…passion I feel for you?" I asked, not entirely serious; I felt flirty all of a sudden. 

"That coquettishness is another reaction," Duo said with a smile. "But yes, that's basically it." 

By the time we left the castle, I official had my first serious boyfriend. 

~*~

                  Though I hardly got any sleep that night, I was glowing nevertheless the next morning when I got up for work. I felt happy. See, I figured that everything was going right in my life: I felt like I could fly. Seriously, if I didn't have to go to work, I'm sure I would've gone out on my window ledge and tried it out.

                  That morning, I put on a lilac suit with a fitted jacket and a skirt that was a few inches well above my knees and black strappy heels. I began putting my hair in a bun, but I changed my mind. I ran a brush through it and put some hairspray in to keep it from flying around the place. Last week, I bought a Calvin Klein fragrance 'Obsession' and a sprayed it on lavishly. Then I brushed a little sheer eye shadow over my eyelids and applied some Grape flavored lip-gloss. And all the while, I was singing along to the songs on the radio as loudly and callously as I did the previous afternoon. 

                  I floated downstairs and hailed a cab to the office, over tipping him when I got out. I greeted everyone I met along the way with a gracious smile and a 'Good Day'. When I got into my office, put down my briefcase and walked over into Relena's office. There, she was sitting behind her desk, squinting at the computer. 

"Morning," I greeted cheerfully. Relena looked up at me and quirked a brow.

"Well, aren't we positively glowing this morning?" she commented with surprised smile. "I tried calling you yesterday afternoon." I couldn't help it, I broke out into a full-blown smile. 

"I was…out," I replied secretively as I flopped down on her cream couch. She raised both brows now. 

"Out?" she repeated slowly. "Out where?" I'm sure I was smiling like the cat that ate the canary and got the cream. 

"With Duo," I answered lightly. Relena's eyes widened. She put a hand to her mouth as she got up from her chair. 

"Stop it," she whispered. I nodded. "Stop it!" she was smiling as much as I was now. "The two of you…"

"Uh huh," I nodded. Relena gasped.

"Stop it! Ooh!" she walked over to me quickly and embraced me warmly. "Oh, my Gosh, the two of you hook up!" for the next few seconds, it was just a bunch of giggling and laughing. then she pulled away from me and sat up in a business-like manner. "Okay, I want detail now. Where did he take you?"

"To this really sweet, romantic castle not far from the beach," I sighed. 

"Ooh!" she wriggled her brows. "Care to tell me more?" I wagged a finger at her.

"That, boss lady, is none of your concern," I laughed. Relena rolled her eyes playfully. 

"You're not fair," she pouted. I raised a brow.

"Oh? What about you and Heero Saturday night?" I asked, folding my arms. Relena blinked and rubbed the back of her head. 

"We just…drove around for a bit…talked…you know," she replied lightly. I raised both brows. 

"Talked about what?" Relena wagged a finger at me. 

"Now _that _is none of _your_ concern," she replied. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever."

~*~

                  I had the rest of the day off, so after lunch, I went to the mall to pick up a few items I would need for the trip. The day was perfectly sunny, not a single cloud in the sky when I went in. 

                  However, when I exited half an hour later, rain was coming down in sheets. I should've known better, seeing as English weather was the most unpredictable; I should've been prepared. Unfortunately, I forgot my umbrella. So, here I was standing outside the mall, not able to move in any direction. Though I was standing under the awning, I was still getting wet. And there wasn't a single taxicab in sight. I was suddenly aware of the weight of the shopping bags in my hands. I sighed heavily as I remembered I forgot my cellular phone this morning, so I couldn't call a cab. I couldn't call Duo either; he had classes this afternoon. The architect was also so very…can't find a word right now…but the bottom line was the pay phones were across the street, which meant I would have to run in rain. I was feeling very frustrated, you can imagine. 

                  I heard it before I saw it. The screech of car tires as it stopped right in front of me. I looked up in surprise then, since I was looking at my leather pumps, dreading their becoming soaked so they would smell when they dried. Before me was a sleek, beautiful silver/grey Alteeza. The windows were covered with opaque sliver tint, so I couldn't see who was in the car. However, I wasn't going to have to wait for long before I found out whom it was. The window of the driver's side was being rolled down slowly. 

"Do you need a ride home?" he asked nonchalantly. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I was going home sometime this century! I ran around to the other side quickly and got in. as soon as I buckled my seat belt, Heero sped off. The air conditioning in the car was cold, and I started to shiver slightly. Though it only took me a few seconds to get into the car, I was soaked from head to toe. 

"Here," Heero said monotonously as he handed me a black fluffy towel, which I accepted gratefully. I wiped at my hair and face before running it over my legs. When I was dried to my satisfaction, I draped the towel over my shoulders. 

For a few minutes, there was a silence between us, except for the car's radio. Heero was solely concentrating on his driving; which was equally to that of any Grand Prix racecar driver. He took corners sharply with the slightest turn of the steering wheel and sped down highways with the calm and ease of a professional driver. Considering it was sill raining, I should've been at least slightly worried. But I wasn't; I guess after being on a motorcycle, I could face anything. The silence wasn't even that uncomfortable. 

Presently, a new song came on the radio. One I soon recognized as Eminem's 'Cleaning out my Closet'. 

"You like Eminem?" I asked, hardly able to contain my surprise. Heero was nodding his head and I could see his lips moving ever so slightly. 

"Yeah," he answered simply. 

"Why?" I asked. Okay, I have nothing against Eminem; he's got a nice voice. But his lyrics are just too…disturbing for my liking. Let's just say if I had a choice, I wouldn't listen to his songs. 

"Because, unlike most singers, he tells the truth," he replied softly. 

"Oh?" I blinked. Heero nodded. 

"Yeah."

"He disses his mother, Heero," I said incredulously. "How can you like anyone who disses his mother?" Heero looked across at me with a small smirk. 

"Have you ever listened to the lyrics to this song?" he asked me plainly. I sniffed.

"I've heard others," I said with a shrug.

"But have you listened to _this _particular song?" I asked again. 

"No, but you've heard one, you've heard them all," I said with such conviction and simplicity. Heero chuckled. 

"That's not fair," he said. "You see, in his other songs, he just bad-talks her. He doesn't really give a reason why. But in this song, he explains it." I shook my head. 

"Okay, so neglected him. Welcome to the real world," I told Heero. "That sort of stuff happens everyday to a whole bunch of children. It's the way of the life on this planet," he raised a brow. 

"I thought you said there was good in the world," I could hear the mocking in his voice. 

"I did. But just because I said so, doesn't mean I'm not a realist," I replied with a roll of my eyes. "But anyway, he isn't justified. Eminem is just a thug who wants attention. Have _you _listened to his lyrics? He promotes violence against gays and…have you heard how he talks about Kim?" 

"First, Kim hurt him badly. This is just his way of letting out his pent up anger. And secondly, if his lyrics are literal, how can he raise a little girl?" Heero asked me, a hint of challenge in his voice. 

"Pardon?" I queried, quite confused. Heero chuckled again. 

"His daughter, Hailie? You've heard of her, right?" I shrugged.

"Yeah…"

"So, if he really was into what he sings about, how can he raise his daughter? He loves controversy, that's evident, but if he really was a pistol packing drug addict, why would the courts see it fit for him to raise Hailie? Wouldn't they have done something about it? Would his ex file a petition against him or something?" 

Okay, I found myself speechless. When Heero put it that way…it almost made sense. Almost. However, he just pulled up by my apartment, so we couldn't continue the debate. I also noticed the rain had eased up. 

"Well, I must be going now before the rain breaks again," I said as I gather my bags up. "Thanks for the ride." Heero nodded. 

"No problem," I stepped out of the car and began to walk up the stairs. "Oh, Ami?" I looked back and I saw Heero was handing me a white box. I took it. 

"What's this?" I asked.

"Open it," he said softly. I frowned but followed his command. 

Inside was an immaculate white rose. The truth hit me like a ton of bricks. 

"Oh my…" as I looked up, I heard car tires squealing. Heero was gone. 

Heero was my secret admirer. 

Yes, a whole bunch of you saw this coming, no? Ah, well, I tried. 

Okay, I have my ideas here to share with you:

Somewhere In Time: I've always been kind of obsessed with Setsuna. Things like: where she came from, how old she is, what really goes through her head. So, I decided to satisfy my own curiosity and write her 'life story'. 

The Show Must Go On: This is a serious satire. You know how some people always obsess over the popular people; how they think they are so perfect? Well, as we all know, they aren't. I'm just making it official. Oh, Sailor Moon/ Gundam Wing, by the way. 

Complicated: My tribute to the world of the music industry. Very Complicated. It's not like the song at all, but it's…complicated. Okay, there's a triangle in here somewhere. 

Okay, that's it for now. Oh, I'm also going to continue the 'Only Time' series. Yes, I'm going to do this to the other four scouts. I have all their stories more or less planned out. Of course, seeing as I have my studies to tend to and all, these won't be posted until…next year June. Sorry!

Oh, and Kaiya, I had to re-write almost every chapter of this fic: from the previous chapter up until the end. Yes, this one was re-written too. So, you can forget about the notebook, it's worthless. *Grins*


	18. Chapter 18

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. Never have, never will, never intend to…I rather write fanfics seeing as I can't draw to save my life. 

*Cackles* I cliffhangered it!!! Just when you thought you saw the last of them!!! *Calms down* Yeah, anyways…

Okay, I think I should give you people a little insight into the "Only Time" series. First of all, the other scouts will be brought into this dimension. They will be continuations to certain situations I will be introducing in this particular fic (I'll mention them quite soon…very soon. But the impact will be shown in later chapters). They'll also be my belated tribute to the events of 9/11; not only to the thousands of people who lost their lives but many the thousands more who have been asked to risk their own lives for the service of their country. The series will climax at in the last installment and it will be centered on a particular scout. I'm still trying to decide who it will be…but it won't be Serena. Oh, and please don't think I put Ami first to get her out of the way because she is the so-called weakest. She will play a part in the other fics. Come on, who do think will show the scouts the ropes?

Right, now, onto the:

Q or C and A:

Mercury Ice Storm: Ah! Glad to see I made you happy! Uh, concerning my review…would you find it impossible to believe if I told you I didn't read your notes on the couples before I reviewed? No? Okay…

Autumn Ice: Yah! I stumped at least one person! You made my day! Well, I look forward to writing them.

Lady Light: My dear, I can't reveal that just yet…unless I want Heero to kill me…*looks warily at Heero who is shining his pistol*

Crystal Dragon: Oh, yes, quite complicated. That's how I like things! Did I mention that's one of my all-time favorite songs? As for Eminem, I never really used to like him until I really listened to this present CD. Now, I'm the first person to defend him. 

Kaiya: I wonder too…As for the notebook…if you want to waste your time, go right ahead, I ain't stopping you!

Oldestof3: I know; I'm sooo sorry! History was killing me…Ah, I like the way you outlined the 'complicatedness' of this triangle…hehe!

Fate's Child: Ah! But if Duo and Ami can't love each other because they haven't known each other for that long…*chuckles* Yes, I am enjoying this very much.

Myst Lady: Okay, for Setsuna's character, may I suggest you use her manga personality? She much more developed there than in the anime. If you want any information, feel free to ask and I can email it to you. 

RenaGoddess: *laughs* Not when the person's me!

Arella Hallo: Deep breaths hon…are we okay now? How did he? Longer chapters? *Whimpers* I'm too lazy…

Za Kaze no Nisou: Yes, it is. Eminem's just misunderstood, though he tries to correct that in his latest CD. I'm sure to watch '8 mile' when it comes out. 

Silver-Star: *Eyes twinkle; purrs* So, Bob-chan, did you like the last chapter? *bats lashes*

WikeD tEnShI: He's a Taurus, so he can't help it…which is good for Cancerian girls like me! 

Daughter of the Damned: Oh, you can relate? That's good, I guess. 

Aurora: *Laughs* Didn't expect it so soon, huh? 

Kid: Yeah, Eminem's cool…in a screwed up kind of way…Ah, well, glad to see you aren't ready to kill me…

Wicked Lady: Breathe Jenna…breathe…we have 13 more chapters to go, including this one. A lot can happen in 13 chapters. 

Eternal Sailor Mercury: Ooh! Happy Belated Birthday Sweet Sixteen! Too bad I won't be hitting them vibes till next July…

Kate: Uh…lemme check…*checks previous chapters* nine chapters. Yes, you have been waiting nine chapters and…two months to find out. Yeah, that's it…Ah… so many questions, so little time…

Medusa: What is she going to do indeed? 

Jessica: Yeah, I love "White America" though I was a bit hesitant due to the name. His first CD you say…hmm, must check that out…

Minimerc: You have a parody? Cool!! Well, Eminem isn't really serious half the time, you know, all the crap about being racist and homophobic. However, I think I believe him when he says how much he hates his mother and ex…I can see why too…

Callisto Star: I know…you think you have him all figured out…then he goes and pulls something like this…thanks for the glowing compliment, by the way. 

~*~

                  So, I bet you're wondering what I did after this little revelation. You're wondering whether I started freaking out completely or crumpled onto the pavement and started to cry, huh?

Well, when I finally came back to planet Earth, I walked two blocks to the nearest pharmacy and bought the most potent non-prescription sleeping pills I could find. See, I knew I wasn't going to fall asleep on my own anytime tonight and I desperately needed it for the trip to the colony. 

However, you may not be surprised to hear that my investment in the sleeping pills was a total waste of time. No, I didn't fall asleep; I stayed up for the whole night running questions and theories through my head. And at this moment while I sat in the shuttle, waiting for it to take off, I was nowhere closer to finding anything concrete than I was last night. If anything, I was more confused. Here are a few of the main questions I was agonizing over:

_How did he know where I was? _I mean, my decision to go to the mall was completely last minute; no one knew I was going there. Did he happen to see me across the street sheltering from the rain or is he stalking me? Oh, yes, I am ruling out **_nothing._** _Why did he choose **now **to reveal his affections for me? _Okay, was it a spur of the moment kind of thing, did he originally plan to do it that day…or is there a more vindictive reason behind of it? Like, he found out about my hooking up with Duo and…okay, I'm lost on this point. **__** _Why didn't I pick it up earlier?_ For Kami's Sake, it was so obvious! Maybe not in the beginning, but the message on the rose which came immediately after our conversation on the beach. **__** _Does he really like me?****_Or is he playing with my head? Well, I had an answer for this one, which I find plausible. He seemed sincere enough. **__** _What did he expect to happen now?_ If he doesn't know about Duo and me, I can actually pity the guy…but if he does…**__** I don't know how this fits in but it juts occurred to me: _Did he know that Duo and I were trying to hook him and Relena up? _I have to think on this one, really, But it brings me to my final question…**__** _What about Relena? _This one has me really worried. Was he using her? For some reason, I couldn't see this happening, but then again I don't know him that well. I just hate to think that I put Relena through this emotional roller coaster: you know, the possibility that he liked her again only to find out he was just playing with her. **__**

Right then, I looked at Relena who was sitting across from me, a low glass topped table separating us. She was writing up something on her lap, while muttering to herself. She looked perfectly elegant today in a simple black suit pearls. Her hair was pulled back into a bun with a few tendrils spilling out at the sides of her face. She seemed to sense my eyes on her because she looked up and gave me a smile. I smiled back and she went back to her work. But now she just seemed distracted. She occasionally took to looking out of the window, seemingly deep in thought. And she would glance at me and sigh heavily. Quite strange. 

Anyway, Relena finally put down her notebook on the table and took off her glasses. She fixed me with a serious but kind of…apologetic look. Needless to say, I was curious. She sighed again and clasped her hands in her lap. 

"Ami," she began softly, "I have something to tell you." I leaned forward slightly. "I was supposed to tell you yesterday but I couldn't bring myself to do it. By the time I worked up my nerve, you were gone." She looked up sheepishly. 

"We knew," she said bluntly. I frowned. 

"What?" I queried, quite clueless. However, there was a sinking feeling in my stomach. 

"Heero and I knew that you and Duo were trying to play matchmaker," she said quickly. I started at her stupidly, blinking with my mouth opened slightly.

"Begging your pardon?" I said flatly. The most pained look crossed Relena's face at that time. 

"It all happened that night at Roxanne's. I must admit I was quite shocked to see Heero out in public, but I thought nothing of it. But when Heero came back after you left, he told me that he suspected you two were up to something. He explained that he was suspicious of Duo from the time he asked him to come out with him, and it grew when he saw us there. He monitored the two of you during the time we were there and he felt his theory was correct," I heard her talking; hell, I was listening to her. But it was…processing. 

"He told me that he had to investigate and that he would call me later that night," she went on, "and we parted ways. I did get a call that night and Heero said he just talked to Duo and from his response, it was confirmed. Heero didn't elaborate on all of this." I held up a hand to stop her. 

"Did Duo come right out and say it?" I asked. Relena wrinkled her nose before shaking her head vigorously. 

"No, no, I doubt it. Duo would never confess. Not after what happened last time," she said. I nodded slightly. So this must've been when Heero came by Duo's apartment. What did he do to make Heero so confident that he was right? Relena took my nod as her cue to continue. "So, I came up with this bright idea: pretend that we fell for it." I raised a brow a high as I could. 

"Why?" was the only coherent word I could form at the time. 

"Well, I saw it as I way to push you and Duo together, I figured if you went out with him enough, you'd be charmed. I knew you wouldn't necessarily do it on your own, so…" she trailed off, waving a hand in the air.

"You took the initiative," I finished for her. She nodded. I shook my head. "That's not the only reason."

"What?" Relena asked, frowning. 

"Why would you put yourself in the position of pretending that you and Heero were together again…it's pretense, yes, but why? It must have some psychological impact on you, you know, you're acting out what could've been. That has to hurt," I said simply. Yet, I was confused as hell. 

"Well, I see Duo gave you a rundown as to our history, mine and Heero's," she mused. "But, yes, there was another reason; quite selfish, really. I _wanted_ to pretend. I wanted to see what could've have been, what it used to be like." She sighed and lowered her head. "After our 'breakup,'" she said, using her fingers to put the last word in inverted commas. "Heero and I barely said two words to each other. You saw how uncomfortable I was at Roxanne's. And I hated it. I hoped this plan would've put an end to that, that we'd be closer after we revealed our knowledge to you two. Heero should be telling Duo sometime today," she added with a shrug. "But anyway, I don't care how pathetic it sounds, but I missed the contact we used to have. And I wanted it back. I figured, 'what the hell? I have nothing to lose.'" She shrugged again and gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry." I guess from the look on my face, she figured I was upset. 

I wasn't, in fact, I forgave her; long time ago, but I had something else on my mind. Did Relena know that Heero was my secret rose sender? I tried to find a way to find out discretely, without arousing her suspicions if she didn't know. 

"So, He must be a really sweet guy if you're putting yourself through this kind of stress?" I asked, slightly hesitant. Relena smiled softly. 

"When he wants to be," she said with a chuckle. "But yes, he is. I mean, I know it won't work out between us again, so I must say that the next girl who gets him will be quite lucky." I listened to her voice, listened for any undertones. Nothing, just pure sincerity. So…she doesn't know. Not that I was surprised. 

True, I got some of my questions answered, including the one about Relena's welfare. But it strengthened the weight of the others on my mind. In addition to those, I had these new questions: 

_Why did Heero agree to Relena's idea? _Okay, as I said, I don't know Heero that well, but if I did, I'm sure I'd find it highly unusual. _Will Heero tell Duo about his and Relena's plan?_ That speaks for itself. By the way, if he does, I wonder what his excuse for agreeing will be? And will Duo buy it? _Will Heero tell Duo that he's my secret admirer? _That speaks for itself as well. 

Oh, gods, I'm twice as confused now.

Read and review!  


	19. Chapter 19

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter: 19

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

                  Okay, I'm typing this chapter here in a hurry and from memory, because I can't find my little black and white composition notebook…*glares suspicious at…well, the person knows who they are*

Yah! Monday was 'Mud Day' at school, in other words we can wear whatever we want, so my friends and I (except Demon Angel Fyre; she playing she's sane) dressed up as schoolgirls! You know, Avril Lavigne style: the plaid skirt, tie, knee-high socks and pigtails…although I must agree with my mom now when she asks why I would want to dress in a uniform when I already wear one everyday. Got some compliments from some peeps in the street, though…so I feel good…

I also noticed something…for most of my upcoming fics, I have Duo as one of the two main characters…that's not right, yo…Heero's supposed to be the main character…what does this mean? 

Q and A or C:

Oldestof3: Ah…her life is just so complicated, no? Sigh…hmm…well, if you say it's the first one, well…*shrugs*

Crystal Dragon: Oh, sorry, no exceptions…though it's quite tempting…

Autumn Ice: Really? I think it was my shortest chapter for a while…I think…

Ladymiaka11: *bows* Why, thank you! 

Valysis: I haven't forgotten you! Don't worry; expect another review from me soon! Sorry! It's going to take another interesting twist this chapter…thank you for the…vote of praise. It helps to boost the ego, though my cuz swears it doesn't need anymore boosting…As for the other guys, nah, they're going to appear in the other stories. 

Mercury Ice Storm: I have you stumped! Yah! *Jumps around the room*. Yeah, anyway, have you updated yet? Still voting on couples you say…that makes me feel much better! 

Kaiya: Yes, you! I have a 'busing ('an abusing'…does that make sense?) to give you! You posted up…*goes to check* TWO new fics, one of them being Sailor Moon/Gundam Wing, and you didn't tell me?! I happened to find out when I went to check your quote for this month! You're rude! 

*Chuckles* yeah, I'll read them, don't worry…just wanted to…discuss it with you first…yeah*Laughs*

Solus Nox: Yeah, I gots to see my baby! *Squeezes imaginary Eminem plushie; clear throat* yeah, anyway, I love the song…uh… 'Lose Yourself in the Music', I think it is…I love to hear Eminem talk, sing, rap…I don't care, as long as there is something coming out of his mouth, I'm in heaven…*sighs contently*

Silver-Star: Aw shucks… oh, well, I'll behave myself…I never hit on another girl's man…no matter how cute he is *winks; blows kiss* Hello, Li, what's up? And don't worry, I haven't forgotten y'all. Can't believe you finished the fic so soon, but anyway…

WikeD tEnShI: *laughs* Glad to see someone's enjoying themselves!

Minimerc: Yes, he does…he really does…I mean, his tone of voice is so…monotonous and flat and Heero's gifted enough to make it sound terrifying…

Kate: Aye, confused is right…in fact, I think she's about ready to kill me now…

Callisto Star: Oh, how will she react? You know, it could go either way…*shrugs* 

Kid: Oh, glad to here that! Question: did you receive an email from me? I'm not sure if I got the addy right…I've never been good with numbers…

Wicked Lady: *meekly* Uh…but I don't like Heero/Serena that much…*chuckles* evil and twisted, you say…hurting your head…is this encouragement to continue? 

Megami*Silence: *grins shyly* HI HONEY!!!! *glomps Megami* Of course I missed you, though I had History and POB to keep me company…did I mention that 'Complicated' and 'Dilemma' happen to be two of my favorite songs? Cheese, you say…

Myst Lady ML-chan: Okay, here's another suggestion…you can go check out her Zodiac sign (Scorpio) at this site: http://Astrology.com. It's really reliable, so…*shrugs*

Arella Hallo: *sheepish grin* uh…it showed us that Relena wasn't completely left in the lurch? I mean those who care about Relena (There are people who care about Relena, right?) are certainly relieved. *grins again*

Jessica: *giggles* Ah…well, it's gets more complicated…I think…

Princess Mercury: It's quite interesting, ain't it?

Meio-chan: *sighs* Yeah, yeah, you knew…*sniffs; pouts* Yeah, I'm tossing ideas for the Setsuna story around my head…Gundam Wing/Sailor Moon or Sailor Moon/DBZ…

~*~

                  No, I didn't suddenly figure out the answers to all my questions within the next few hours. I didn't have some clairvoyant vision while I was asleep, nor did an angel come down and point out the 'obvious'. And I definitely didn't get a cell phone call from Duo explaining everything what Heero told him. 

                  However, I did realize the deep, forgive my language, shit I was in. See, Heero's Duo's best friend. Duo is my boyfriend. Heero is my not-secret-anymore admirer. How is Duo going to take it when he realizes that his best friend is trying to make a move on his girl? Okay, I'm new to this relationship thing, but I sure as hell know he wouldn't exactly laugh over it with Heero. 

For God's Sake, why? You see, I _knew_ it was too good to be true when I hooked up with Duo so easily. There just _had _to be some…sort of _stress _behind of it. His **_best friend_**of all people! The other scouts never had this to contend with! And it's not even to say I could go to them and get their advice. No, I was on my own. Dealing with my first relationship, which is more complicated than most. Why the hell did I agree to go along with this? I could've stayed in Tokyo…no scrap that…my own _dimension, _study to become a doctor like a good little girl, and forget that guys existed. But _nooooooooo, _I just had to go play Wild Child and agree to…ARGH!!!

Okay Ami…breathe…that's right…breathe. Okay, I'll calmly and rationally 

continue now. 

We landed on the colony a few hours after Relena made her little revelation. It was just the beginning of the evening when we arrived. I guess the muted light brought out the beauty of the colony. It had a raw, surreal quality, like a tropical island, untouched by industrialization. Trees upon trees covered the area around the spaceport so thickly; I found it hard to believe that there were towns and cities beyond it. We were escorted to an almost antique car that I guess was worth alot of money back in its day. The chauffeur opened the back door of the car and led us in. The interior was well preserved but by no means new. 

The drive to the palace took about twenty minutes, plenty of time to survey the colony on our way there. The first thing I noted was the buildings. There were many, many buildings; large and small, several stories tall, some fewer than three stories, elaborately designed and simply built. But they all had one thing in common: they were all in various states of disrepair and most of them seemed to be abandoned. I frowned at this. It was quite peculiar, all of these buildings, which seemed to be fairly new, were so neglected. 

By the time we arrived at our destination, the only light visible came from electric lamps and streetlights. We drove up the long driveway to the grand palace. Well, it wasn't so grand, because it desperately needed some repair. Paint was chipping, windows were broken or else boarded up and the grounds were overrun with weeds and floral trees allowed to grow wild. The car came to an abrupt stop in front of the palace's grand staircase. The chauffeur opened our door and helped the both of us out. A footman who had positioned himself at the door escorted us up the stairs. 

It was beautiful in a surreal way. Torches lit the whole way along the stairs, casting large, distorted shadows over us. At the top of the stairs stood a man I hadn't noticed before. His posture was regal and defined, his tall body erect and somewhat stiff. As we approached him, he came into much clearer view. 

He looked young, about somewhere in his mid thirties. His skin was dark, showing his Hispanic roots clearly. He had a handsome, angular face with bright green eyes and wavy black hair. He looked even more impressive when I realized he was dressed in some sort of dress military attire. He smiled graciously at us. 

"Good evening, ladies," he said, and bowed deeply. Relena gave a simple curtsey and I felt obliged to follow suit. 

"Good evening, President Muńez," she greeted with a smile. Once again, I followed suit. He gave another dazzling smile. 

"It's a pleasure to have you beautiful young ladies with us this evening. Thank you kindly, Ms Vice Foreign Minister, for agreeing to come at my request. I know I inconvenienced you greatly, what with your busy schedule," he continued politely, his accent making his speech all the more hypnotic. Relena waved a careless hand. 

"Forget about it; it's my duty," she replied. We were walking into the main entrance of the palace.  Inside wasn't much different from the outside, as it was sparsely furnished and just as desolate. 

During our walk through the palace, we made small talk, chatting about insignificant details and happenings around the world. President Munez and Relena seemed to have something in common, as they were avid fans of World Cup Football. They did dispute over which team was better: Brazil or Germany. I hung in the back, as I detested all sports. 

This gave me a chance to look around. The first thing I noticed was that there were several guards around the palace. They were either standing at what I assumed to be their posts or passed us as we walk down the halls. I found this strange, because there seemed to be an over abundance of them. I questioned the president about this. 

"Ah, but of course," he said charmingly, flashing another smile. "With dignitaries such as yourselves here, we need to be at the height of our security." I frowned at this. 

"Then why so many guards?" I asked again. "They're so many; too many, if you want to know the truth." I got a distinctly bad feeling about this. I could understand his concern, but the way he stationed his guards it looked like they were ready for an ambush. Relena met my eyes with an unreadable look. President Munez's dark eyes leveled on me. 

"I wouldn't want to have you blood on my hands, now would I?" he replied calmly, silkily. Something about that statement, whether it was his tone of voice or the words, I can't tell, but it set me on edge. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck raise slowly. I maintained my gaze on his eyes and he maintained his on mine. 

There was definitely something that unnerved me about this man. 

"Uh, President Munez, don't you think that Brazil's performance in the last World Cup was spectacular, though they didn't win?" Relena asked lightly, drawing us out of our intense staring contest. Immediately, his entire countenance brightened; he was back to the perfect gentleman. He turned to Relena graciously. 

"The bare fact that they didn't win tells you something, Ms Peacecraft-Darlian," he said teasingly and Relena laughed in response. 

"The bare fact Germany didn't even _place _tells you something, President Munez," Relena said with a playful raise of her brows. We started to walk again, but I still felt quite uncomfortable. And it wasn't paranoia. 

~*~

Much later that night, after we had dined with the President and his Council, we were shown to our rooms. They were in a separate wing, facing each other. Our rooms were tastefully designed in what I assumed to be Caribbean interior decorations. Presently Relena and I were in my room. I sat on the bed in my oversized nightshirt, brushing out my hair. Relena sat on the large wicker chair facing me. Her hair was already brushed out and it shone in the light of the tropical Tiffany lamp next to her. She was dressed in a sort of creamy camisole dress that barely covered her knees. I noticed she was eyeing me with that same expression that came across her face earlier that evening. I immediately felt guilty. I sighed and put the brush down on the bedside table. 

"I sorry for my outburst this evening. I really don't know what…" I started, but Relena put up a hand to stop me. 

"It is strange, if they were concerned about our safety, we would've had guards riding with us. Not to mention a police escort," she said in a dreamy way. She pulled up her knees to her chin. "It's strange." 

"And all those buildings. It's eerie because they can't be more than ten years old," I added. 

"Well, long before the Eve Wars, about…" she shrugged. "Twelve years ago, there was something of a coup d'etat here, where President Munez's father took over." I frowned. 

"But why didn't he restore them?" I asked. Relena shrugged again. 

"I don't know, but I did some more research and it has been suggested that he didn't care for such. However, this information came from the Alliance, and we both know that I don't trust them," Relena said with a sigh. 

"Hmm," I mused. "Maybe they couldn't get the financing." Relena nodded. 

"Exactly. I never mentioned it before, but the Alliance cut all ties with the colony after that coup. That's another reason why the Alliance refused the grant the colony permission for this hotel project," Relena got up and went to the opened window. The curtains billowed around her as a warm, gentle breeze blew in. "Another reason I came here was to gather substantial information and evidence so the Alliance would no longer have a reason to deny the people of this colony. The last thing they'd want to do is to admit that they're putting the lives of colonial citizens at risk just because of some juvenile hatred."  

"Uh, Relena," I chuckled uncertainly before I continued. "Wouldn't this be a waste of time? I mean, the Alliance members seem unprepared to, no dis intended, listen to a naïve teenager?" I said, paraphrasing what she said they told her. At this Relena laughed lustily. She shook her head, her highlights dancing in her hair as it blew in the wind. 

"Call me stubborn," she said with a shrug. "Call me determined." She shrugged again and went from the window. She stopped in front of me, a slight smile playing on her face. I recall thinking how beautiful she looked. 

"When we go out tomorrow on our tour, take all the notes you can. Whether you think them insignificant, it doesn't matter," she advised my softly. Then in a spontaneous bout of activity, she stretched her arms above her head and yawned long and leisurely. 

"Well, I'm tired," she said, suppressing another. She sauntered over to the door. "Good night, Ames," she said and yawned. I fought to suppress my own yawn. 

"Night, Relena," I replied. She nodded slightly at me, and then went out, closing the door quietly behind her. 

However, long after Relena left, I still hadn't fallen asleep. I still couldn't shake the feeling of dread that haunted me. I so didn't trust President Munez. I stayed up for a long time, thinking about this. There was something about his charming nature. Was it false? No, that wasn't it. It was more unsettling than insincere. 

It was his last words to me that sent chills down my spine. Our blood on his hands. Why did he use those particular choice of words? Couldn't he have said something more…normal? Then Relena's words. It's true; they would've had guards with us on our way here if they wanted to protect us so desperately. So why did they have an whole battalion, it looked like, in this one palace? Did they expect an attack from some powerful force? If they did, who was it and why? 

I ran so many theories through my head that it finally made me sleepy. I found myself drifting off into a dreamlike state. My eyes were half closed, and my body was calling for me to give into the sleep. But I realized something: I didn't want to fall asleep. Was it because I didn't feel safe? 

However, before I could over think that question, something else shook what drossiness there was in me. Shook it out swiftly and violently. 

A scream. A piercing, bloodcurdling, spine-chilling scream. I sat up immediately on my bed, cold sweat that sprung out of nowhere rolling down my body in torrents. 

And then, if I thought my body was at the peak of expressing my fear, I was mistaken. My blood ran cold as the scream died as abruptly as it started. Realization and recognition. 

That was Relena. 

Oooooooh! Cliffie! 


	20. Chapter 20

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter: 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. Evil President Munez is my character, so you can't steal him…at least not without my permission. 

                  Omigod! I read through the reviews and I realized something: people actually care about Relena's well being! My word, I've never seen such concern for her, outside of a pro Relena website. Wow…

Once again, I must do this, because I don't think I do it enough, but thank you to all the people who have been reading and reviewing this fic. Especially to those who review, because with you guys, I won't be inspired to continue this fic. *Sigh* I guess I should show my appreciation by dishing out some more cliffhangers, huh? 

Q or C and A: 

D-chan's Ice Queen: Hi honey! Discontinue? Me? Nuh-uh, not this time. See, I'm kinda running a bet with my cuz, so you know how them vibes go, huh? 

Myst Lady ML-chan: Well, I have a pretty solid story on the Sailor Moon/Gundam wing front, but the person I want to pair her up with in DBZ seems more tempting, so, I don't rightfully know yet…

Arella Hallo: You do know I'm going to check on the validity of that claim, right?

Kate: But of course not! Of course she's gonna whip some @$$!

SweetAngels3: *cackles*

Ladymiaka11: Yes, I do, don't I? Rectangle you say…

Autumn Ice: No they aren't…*sniff*

Lady-Solarity: But…it's so hard to do! I try to fight temptation, but…

Minimerc: Were are they, indeed? *Gasp* you care! Happy Belated Halloween…*cackles*

Lady Light: I have: Integrated Science, Information Technology, History and Social Studies homework to do and I'm here typing fics…well, it's more fun than boring myself with stuffy, old, out of date books. *shrugs*

Oldestof3: *innocently* I did? 

Mercury Ice Storm: Aw…*tsking sound* I stress you out, huh? Have you posted the next chapter yet?

Jessica: Questions indeed…

Kaiya: *sniff* Apology accepted. I'm looking out for them emails. And, I still can't find my book…*narrows eyes*

Melika: Trowa and Quatre…hmm.

RoseGirl2000: Ah, the way I love things…complicated…

Crystal Dragon: Me, do bad things? *innocent voice* Nuh-uh!

Callisto Star: Randomly killing characters…*grins* tempting…

Meio-chan: Stressful, no? Well, while I'm not really writing from personal experience, I had a problem like this towards the end of May and throughout June. See, guys only want what's best for them, so they think they're entitled to make life stressful for us…*grumbles*

Silver-Star: Li likes Heero? Cool…*sighs* It is a shame…oh well, guess I have to settle for Vin Diesel…*sighs again*

ChibiTenshi: Oh Gosh, now I'm making people cry…I'm so evil! 

Wicked Lady: Mr. Wavy-hair-football guy…interesting description…Well, I'm glad you like the Relena in this fic. Who said I was going to do Heero/Ami for sure? 

Megami*Silence: Uh, why are you wishing such evil on poor Relena…well, not exactly poor, but you get the point. Although now you say it, it would've been interesting…maybe we can do bloopers… LOL! Long Beard and a turban…what are we getting at? *laughs again* You love cheese, huh? Well, at least one person appreciates my evilness! 

Kid: Well, you're later than usual…*winks*

~*~

Okay, we realize that one of my only friends may be in mortal peril. What do we do? 

We get up and investigate. 

I rose quickly, my bare feet touching the cold, hardwood floor. I didn't feel it though; my body was too numb. My mind reflected to those guards that were stationed outside our rooms, and I wondered if they were still there. 

Halfway across the room, I stopped abruptly. I don't know why I did, but my feet wouldn't move anymore. 

Voices, I heard them outside my door, speaking rapidly in a rough, coarse language that I couldn't place. Then I heard something like muffled screams. A woman's muffled screams. That was enough to get my adrenaline pumping. I ran to the door and reached to turn the knob. 

I was flung back a few feet as the door was kicked off of its hinges. Before me stood three men, holding assault rifles. Assault rifles which were pointed toward me. Once again, goose pimples raised along the surface of my skin. Those uniforms looked so very familiar.

Those were the same guards I was asking President Munez about tonight. 

Now, it's expected that I would be scared witless at the sight of several very burly, mean looking men, pointing deadly weapons in my direction. It's expected. I expected it. 

Instead, I felt another sudden burst of adrenalin. Spying a bamboo rod at my arm's reach, I grabbed it and twirled it like a baton between my fingers as I had seen Setsuna do so many times. I could see their eyes following its movements above my head, and in front of me. As I did so, I formulated a rough 'battle plan'. I figured that it would be more than likely that the two at the front would attack first since they seemed to be ready and rearing to go. After that, I did a quick scan of the said two. Even without my mini-computer, I was still somewhat able to gauge their strengths and weaknesses. And my scan said they would be no problem. When I had this all planned out, I brought it down to my side sharply and put myself into fighter stance. 

"Bring it on," I whispered softly. As expected, the first two soldiers came running immediately. I noticed they had dropped their rifles and I vaguely wondered why. Wouldn't it have been easier if they had just shot me and got it over with? 

But anyway, they came running towards me, unarmed, no doubt thinking that I was an easy walk over. I decided to change that opinion. 

The soldiers took up positions on either side of me, as if they expected to grab me by the arms and drag me out. Twirling the pole again, I put a good amount of force into the strike a gave him across the head. Then I repeated the maneuver with the other soldier. They both were rendered unconscious. I frowned. Okay, I didn't expect them to be _that _easy to beat. 

Oh well.

I turned my attention to the last guard. As I expected, he looked older, tougher and more experienced than the other two. He had the potential to give me difficulties. 

I did a quick scan of him as well, which revealed that he was very well trained, unlike the others with hardly any weaknesses or faults. Except…

I threw down my pole and repositioned myself into a fighter's stance. I could see him smile slightly at my gesture and he copied me. We stood like that for a few tense moments, staring at each other, waiting for the other to move. I could feel the blood surging within me, tense in anticipation. However, I kept it under control. I knew the consequences of letting your emotions control your fighting. I could see the guard struggling to do the same, but he was quite unable to. I could see him fidgeting slightly. I was perfectly still. 

He moved off first, frustration and anticipation driving him. I saw he was putting most of his weight and force into his left shoulder, which meant he threatened to tunnel me with it. But I stayed perfectly still. 

At the last possible second, I shifted slightly to my left, letting him pass. He stopped almost immediately. He turned back to me a swung his fist at me. I leaned backward, ducking it completely. He used his other fist, which I avoided using the same method. The guard tried to sweep me, but I back flipped out of his way, landing in a crouching position some feet away. 

I could see his frustration mounting. With a scream, he charged clumsily at me, hoping to force me onto the wall behind me. Once again, I waited until the last moment to get out of the way by flipping once again, this time executing a half twist over his head. Being petite had its advantages. 

He turned to me, quite flustered. And tired. Tired after a few exercises. He was panting and huffing like he just ran up a hill. _That _was his weakness. He got worn out too easily. I used this opportunity to work off some of my excess energy. 

We charged at each other at the exact same time. He prepared to land a punch, which I blocked and gave him one of my own. I then kneed him in the gut and swept him. 

However, as tired as he was, he avoided my sweep by jumping back. He surprised me yet again by connecting a punch to my face. Oh, the exquisite pain. It felt like my whole jaw was out of alignment. I staggered backward slowly, tasting something coppery, but maintained my balance. Triumph gleamed in his eyes. Getting cocky, aren't we? 

He tried to take advantage of my dazed state by attempting an uppercut. I barely dodged it by leaning to the side slightly. I grabbed his arm as it grazed my jaw and twisted it. He groaned slightly and tried to struggle. However, I managed to get behind his back, taking his arm with me and twisted it even further. He squirmed, but I held firm. 

"Okay, first question, who the hell are you?" I asked my teeth clenched in pain and determination. I twisted his arm even more in case he planned on not answering. 

"Guard," he hissed through his pain. I rolled my eyes and twisted it even more. 

"I can see that. Why did you attack me?" I restated. 

"Doing…my duty…" he gasped out. 

"Duty, huh?" I laughed sardonically. "Duty for whom? And stop squirming," I commanded and twisted his arm further to stop him. 

"Ah…" he gasped in pain. All of a sudden, I felt something whiz past my ear with a slight buzz like that of an insect. The next second, I felt the guard go limp in my arms. I felt something wet and sticky splatter my face from out of seemingly nowhere. I knew what it was. I shock and fear, I dropped him and spun to face the door. 

The guard had his weapon trained on me. I felt my blood, which had been heated up to that point, chill tremendously. 

"I only ask of you," he began softly, in a rich Hispanic accent. "To come with me without any struggle or hesitation." I smiled softly. 

"And what if I don't?" I asked in a pseudo-coy voice. Where I got this type of moxie from, I'm yet to figure out. I felt my face go ashen as I heard the safety of the gun clicked off. I was momentarily grateful for the dark. 

"Then I will be forced to resort to more drastic measures," he answered coldly. Once again, I found myself in a standoff, trying his patience. However, he seemed to be very patient, because he stood there, perfect as a statue, not moving or fidgeting. This could take a while. 

But what about Relena? I had almost forgotten about her. Where did they take her, what did they do to her? Was she even alive. As I looked at this soldier, I knew he would have the answers I needed. 

I raised my hands slowly, showing my surrender. 

"Alright, I'll go with you," I said simply. He lowered his gun wordlessly and came up to me. He handcuffed me and led me out of the room. I didn't struggle or protest.

We walked out of that particular wing, down into the hall and the vestibule and out into the chilly night. I became acutely aware of the fact that I was barefooted as the driveway's sharp stones scratched and dug at my feet. We walked on to a little alcove where there was a hut at the center, dimly lit from the inside. He turned at the knob and we walked in. 

There, in the room were at least ten, fifteen of the same guards, each with their rifles in full view. The light source came from a single candle on a table at on end of the room. In the middle of the room were two chairs. One was empty and on the other was Relena. 

Relena was on the chair, obviously bound by her hands, which were behind the chair. She wore a look so mutinous and venomous, I was sure that if looks could kill, everyone in this room would be dead. She was bedraggled, her hair tousled in every which way. There was a thin trail of blood running down the corner of her mouth. 

I was placed on the vacant chair, which was facing her, my arms behind me. She looked at me and sighed heavily, then I saw her squirm a bit, obviously trying to undo the bounds that held her. 

"Ah, you're finally here, Ms Mizuno," that familiarly slick voice announced from behind me. "It took you long enough." President Munez came into the candle light. He wore a look so smug and so self-pleased, I wished that I could get up and slap it off. That was impossible because my feet were bound to the legs of the chair. 

"President Munez, what the _hell_ are you playing at?" Relena growled. She started another set of squirming. He just smiled at her. 

"My dear, I'm not playing; I'm quite serious." He chuckled and paced the space between Relena and me. "I have realized that one must do things himself if he wants them done his way." I so did not like where this man was going with this. "You see, I want my people to prosper, to live like how you two are living on Earth. And the hotel would be the best way to go about this." Now, my heart just plummeted. I could actually see what he was doing. 

"What do you mean?" Relena asked more cautiously than angrily. From the sudden change in her facial expression, I could tell she understood too. President Munez had the most gleeful look on his face. 

"Well, I have placed a call to the Alliance. I have told them that I have their Vice-Foreign Minister here, held hostage," I heard a ragged gasp escape my throat. "If they don't sign the agreement to grant us the rights to construct the hotel…" he trailed off with a sinister chuckle. He walked over to the table with the candle and snuffed it with his fingers, plunging the room into darkness. "The end." Relena lowered her head with such utter hopelessness, my heart grieved at the sight of her. President Munez sauntered over to her, lifting her chin with his fingers gently. 

"Now, Ms Relena," he said softly, almost in a caring way. "You didn't think you could single handedly change the opinions of stubborn old men just by traipsing around here." I regretted making that suggestion to her earlier that evening. He dropped her chin roughly and laughed in a triumphant manner. I looked back to Relena, who still had her head lowered. 

"Keep an eye on the girls, men. Make sure nothing happens to them; we don't want them to be debilitated in any way when the Alliance agrees to our proposal," he said superiorly, before waltzing back out. I looked over to Relena, who still had her head down. 

"Relena?" I leaned forward and whispered to her. "Relena, we're going to be alright. The Alliance will pull through for us." That was when she raised her head. Her eyes, usually a vibrant blue, were now dead and lifeless. It was like her inner fire went out. Her soul had been crushed. She looked at me with those eyes and whispered back these chilling words:

"We're going to die here."

Alright, sorry for the crappy 'action scene', but it's been a while since I've watched a decent action film. Ja!


	21. Chapter 21

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter: 21

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. Never have; never will. 

Okay, some announcements:

Owing to the fact that I _still _can't find my notebook…*glares at we-all-know-who*, I had the opportunity to re-write my outlines for Chapter 23 onward, and I had to add two new chapters…so, it will be spanning 31 or 32 chapters. That means we have…*gets calculator* about eleven more chapters to go. *Sighs* Almost done…so sad.

Secondly, in preparation for the other installments of the aforementioned 'Only Time' series, I will be adding some more to the title of this fic. So, it'll look something like this:

Only Time, Part 1: At The Beginning

So, you know…

Okay, onwards to…

Questions or Comments and Answers:

Dragon Lady: Yes, I wonder how…you know anything can happen, right?

Kaiya: Resident Evil…unfortunately, I didn't get to see it *mumbles on about damned cold that week* anyway, I still take it as a compliment, 'cause I heard it was a cool movie…I'm still waiting for that email, BTW…

Myst Lady ML-chan: Thank you! Piccolo? Okay, I like the guy…uh…Namek…but…well…

Kate: I'm glad you did. Cool…I can do that…I think…

Oldestof3: So many questions…

Orion: Oh, don't go catching a cold on my account…

Autumn Ice: Once again…so many questions…

WikeD tEnShI: Thank you, thank you *Bows* 

Callisto Star: Thanks! Well, it's a depressing situation…

Jchild: But of course I did!!! I was wondering about you! I have the power to let people starve themselves…Wow…

RoseGirl2000: I must say…Relena is starting to grow on you, it seems…

Jessica: Ooh…I'm a drama queen!!

Silver-Star: Oh, we have a Heero-lover…scandalous…Pokemon? Oh, that's got to be chaotic…

Solus Nox: True that! Who knew? 

Sammie: What can I say…cliffies are my specialty!

Arella Hallo: Reply to One: Don't think I won't! Reply to Two: Uh…I don't know what Two was…

LadyMiaka11: Aw…thanks for the vote of confidence, but I still think I could've done better…*shrugs* Yeah, I mean, if you read Kaiya's new fic, you'll see that without Ami, the scouts are totally helpless. Twisted rectangle…there's a name for that…let's see what I learnt in Mathematics class…it's called a…rhombus! Yes, a love rhombus!

Crystal Dragon: Well, it's very much subject to change, so you never know.

Wicked Lady: Oui, he was! Well, if you say that's how it goes…*laughs*

Megami*Silence: Swiss cheese…Megs, I have a phone number that I can give you…very helpful; it helped me! As for the pineapples, I love them too! I swear to god, the pineapples grown where I live are the sweetest you'll ever taste. 

Minimerc: LOL! I never laughed so hard yet! Where do you peeps come up with these things? Heero's not toast…well Lord…*laughs again*

Kid: Well, I try my best…

~*~

I stared at Relena in awe. Relena, pessimistic? Those sorts of things don't happen. She had bowed her head again and was sitting perfectly still, like marble. 

"What are you talking about, Relena, of course we won't die here. The Alliance will find a way to negotiate with President Munez," I argued logically. After all, she was their Vice Foreign Minister, their mouth piece to the colonies. However, Relena shook her head at this statement, her hair shaking limply. 

"You're wrong, Ami," she said softly, flatly. "The Alliance doesn't care about me, about us." I laughed.

"Come on, Relena, they're professionals. Sure, they have their little issues with you, but they'll never let you die here." At this, she looked up at me with those lifeless eyes of hers. I looked down. 

"Do you know what else they told me on at the last meeting?" she asked rhetorically. "This was my last term; they'd make sure that they'll vote me out next election. I'm too rude, they say." I heard some emotion in her voice; distress. 

"But…"

"Do you know how costly elections are? The campaigning, the organization behind it, everything. It costs a ton of money. Money that the Alliance has, but they won't spend. They don't want to. Now, it would be easier if they could just appoint their subordinate if anything unfortunate should happen to me," she ended softly and sighed. 

"Okay, let's just say they leave you here to die. What would the media have to say about that? The people love you, they will question." I pleaded passionately. In the dim light of the moon, I saw her smile sadly. 

"Ah, yes, they do," she said softly. "If only it were up to them…the elections, I mean." Relena's nostalgic mood suddenly passed and she returned to her depressed state. " But no. As for the media, you'd be surprised how the Alliance can put their own spin on things. They could say they were in the midst of negotiations, because the whole story about this hotel thing isn't out, when President Munez turned on them and killed me." she shrugged "It works. It worked before." By now, I was frowning deeply. 

"Why do you think they hate you so much? The whole thing about being insubordinate doesn't flow," I asked her. Once again, she sighed. 

"I'm a threat to their system. Their system is corrupt; it would make you blood curdle if you knew some of the things they did. During the Eve Wars especially. I'm a threat to them, because I can't go for corruption. I stand for truth and justice. The only reason they tolerated me for so long is because of the same people." She chuckled. "Like I said, they love me. And they know that. It keeps them happy to see me fighting for them. If they forcibly removed me, they would have full scale revolution. And they don't want that. They may be all-powerful, but they know that the people's happiness count."

"So? They're many people like you around this world. Why do you think they want to kill you?" I asked again; I still couldn't see it. 

"About six months ago, when I was giving a speech, there was an attempt on my life. Someone tried to snipe me, but by some miracle, he missed. Just barely, however. Later after a meeting, I heard the Chairman say to a few of his friends, with my own ears, 'He shouldn't have missed,'" Oh, my blood just froze in my veins. Jestingly or not, that was cruel. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply, as if I was in pain. 

"Have I convinced you?" she asked monotonously. I could feel sweat pouring down my face. I just realized: if Relena was screwed, I was screwed too. Unless…

"What about the pilots?" I asked excitedly. I saw her frown. 

"What?" 

"The Gundam pilots. They'd never make you die here, not when they know the situation which they undoubtedly will," I saw her brighten for a second before the spark went out. 

"They work for the Preventers; the Preventers are hooked up to the Alliance. The Alliance knows how close I am to Heero in particular," the name momentarily reminded me of the stress in my life, but that seemed so very insignificant compared to this. "They will try procrastinate my rescue and it will work; because the Preventers cannot act on matters this important without their approval.  And don't worry," she added, seeing I was ready to comment. "They will try to cover it up, and it will work."

"But you can't believe that they will leave you here because the authorities say not to rescue you, their dearest friend. If you do, you obviously have no faith in them," I said. I thought briefly that the ending statement was too harsh, but I wasn't ready to take it back. I heard her chuckle lowly. 

"True," she admitted. "But even if they do, it will take a very long time for them to get organized, trust me. The Alliance will hold back information about our kidnapping and it will be hell's work to get it out of them."

"No faith," I murmured. "They will come through for us, I know they will." But even as I said this, I know what she said was probable, even logical. 

~*~

I jerked my head upward suddenly. The sun was streaming in with all its glory. I can't believe I actually fell asleep after last night. I looked ahead at Relena.

She was looking to her left, outside a small window. She obviously didn't get any sleep. Her eyes were all red and puffy and dark lines circled them, giving her a haggard appearance. The sun failed to highlight her hair as it usually did, which was tangled and tousled, falling flaccidly to her shoulders. Taking a closer look, I noticed that her face was streaked. I realized that they redness of her eyes didn't only come from the lack of sleep; she had been crying. At this point in time, she turned to me and smiled wanly. 

"Good morning," she said. "Beautiful morning, no?" The way she said that, so calmly and serenely made me wonder if the stress of situation had taken a toll on her…

"Are you alright, Relena?" I asked quietly. I noticed absently that they had changed the guards. Her smile grew brighter. 

"Of course I am," she said. "You see, I thought about what you said last night and it made me realize that I should have faith in the guys." She sighed. "They'll come, and they be right on time." Her expression suggested that she knew something that I didn't. What brought this sudden burst of confidence? Even I was having my doubts. How were the pilots going to bet here without their Gundams? As far as I knew, that was the quickest way one could get to outer space from earth. I mean, from all reports, the Gundams had been destroyed after the Mariemaia revolts. But anyway, I didn't voice them to Relena; I didn't want to put her out of her good mood.  

"Maybe they won't have to sneak around, maybe the Alliance will help," I suggested. Relena frowned. 

"Maybe they'll finally develop a sense of professionalism," Relena said after a pause, he voice quite sardonic. "But I won't hold my breath."

For the next few hours, Relena and I had some casual chats, nothing particularly important. We talked about random issues, made dry, hollow jokes and small talk. It made the time pass. We were given lunch, which was quite good compared to what I was expecting. Soon, the sun was setting in the sky. By then, we had exhausted all topics. Then was when president Munez came in. 

Correction, _stormed _in was more like it. President Munez came in with a look of total disdain and anger on his face. He stopped in his usual place between us. I saw Relena smile up at him placidly. 

"Hello, Mr Munez. How has your day been?" she asked sweetly. He glared down at her. 

"They are stalling, making excuses, finding every reason to delay the grant to the hotel. 'Oh, it's a very long process; we can't do it just like that!'" he mocked in a high falsetto voice. He stomped over to the table that accommodated the unlit candle. "Bull!" he screamed, knocking over the table, causing me to jump. "Pure, unmitigated bullshit!" The room was deathly silent; one could hear a pin drop. Then Relena started to chuckle. It was soft and quiet at first, then she threw back her head and it developed into all out maniacal laughter. President Munez whipped around and stared at her, as I did too. Was she crazy?

"What are you laughing at?" he raged madly, rushing to her. He took her by both shoulders and shook her roughly. But that didn't stop her laughter; instead it swelled even more. He continued shaking her violently, but it didn't quell her laughter. Instead, it seemed to swell. 

"Oh, my poor, poor, President," she said, breathless from laughter. He had turned from her and raked a hand through his hair. "You are so immensely _clueless_!" she shouted the last word after him. He turned back to her, all the rage gone from his expression, from what I could see. Instead, he wore a look of complete confusion. 

It was an intense moment, passing between Relena and President Munez. There was he was, once standing regal and dignified, now his expression was totally befuddled, his shoulders slumped. And there was Relena, the one who should be distressed; instead she was sitting with such confidence and command, equaling that of a sovereign, though she was in a position of helplessness. I held my breath unconsciously. 

"What?" he whispered softly, still looking to her. "Clueless?" Relena nodded eagerly. 

"Yes, very clueless," she said lightly. "If you had been paying attention to colonial/Alliance affairs, you would not be in this unfortunate position."

"Unfortunate?" he said with a short chuckle, but he was clearly intrigued. "How is this unfortunate?" Relena gave a small, mysterious smile. 

"Ah…it's quite easy to figure out…" she said and trailed off deliberately. He rushed to her, placing his arms on her shoulders, squeezing them. She winced slightly, but her smile stayed fixed to her face. 

"Speak, woman!" he shouted into her face, spittle flying. She laughed again. 

"Say it, don't spray it," she said, wrinkling her nose disdainfully. "Ugh, and somebody had garlic for dinner…" By now, my jaw was completely slackened. What the hell was Relena doing?! Purposely trying his patience, obviously, but why? President Munez leveled her with a deadly glare, while she smiled sweetly back at him. Finally, with a growl, he released her and turned away. He paced the floor in front of the window, away from us. I took this opportunity to mouth to Relena:

"What are you, crazy?" she just smiled back at me. Okay, now she was just plain scaring me. 

"Okay, here what I can do," President Munez suddenly announced, excitement in his voice. He walked back to the little space between us, before turning back to Relena. "I can use you! I can make a video tape with you begging them to follow my command!" he cackled joyously. "Yes, that's what I'll do…" 

"Won't work," Relena said immediately. I groaned and rolled my eyes. For God's Sake, if she had a death wish, go skydiving with an amateur. Don't risk my life too! President Munez looked at her curiously. 

"What do you know that I don't, hmm, my little Relena?" he asked, his voice disturbingly nice. He walked up to her chair and crouched in front of her. "Huh? Tell me. Please?" Relena scoffed. 

"The Alliance wouldn't give a damn anyway," she simply said. He continued to look up at her like she held the secret of eternal life. 

"Why?" he implored softly. Relena sighed deeply. I leaned forward along with President Munez. Was she going to tell him what she told me last night? She looked down at him and smiled. 

"I can't tell you that. Sorry," she said with a grin and a shrug. Okay, I was convinced. Relena has fallen off the apple cart. He growled again and barked her a hard, resounding slap. I gasped loudly. The impact of it made her neck snap to the side. 

"Stop being such a difficult _bitch _and tell me!" he roared at her. Relena simply turned back to him, her eyes burning with a fire and intensity that I never seen her possess before. The rapid reddening of her cheek seemed to add to her passionate expression. 

"Okay, _Sherlock, _you want to know why you're such a dumb ass?" she asked through clenched teeth. She shrugged. "Alright, I'll grace you with my knowledge." She paused and took a shaky breath. The fire never left her eyes, which never left President Munez. 

"You just granted the Alliance's greatest wish; they have an opportunity to get rid of _me!" _she declared terribly. "The don't give two shits about what happens to me, just as long as they aren't implicated in it. So you know what they are going to do? They're going to leave me here to die, and then," she chuckled at this. "Then, they'll make it look like all your fault. You were in the middle of negotiations with them, when you flew off your rocker and killed me. Talk about you scandal! Then, they can get rid of you as well, and your hotel proposal!" she was panting by now, but her expression was still livid. "Don't feel so clever, now do you?" 

President Munez stared at her in open wonder. He rose slowly and walked back over to the window, like he was just told his son had died. He leaned on the ledge and bowed his head in defeat. I looked over at Relena, who was glistening with a thin veil of sweat covering her body. The redness of her face that resulted from her excited state was slowly fading, making the imprint of his hand more prominent. 

Then, President Munez turned. He turned so quickly that I could barely see his movement. But, I did see him withdraw something from his pocket. In his hand was a shiny, black Magnum. Pointed straight at Relena. Terror filled me immediately. However, Relena looked as calm as ever. 

"Shoot me," she said softly, glaring at him. Their eyes locked, each pair glaring into the other. She thrust her chest out the best she could. "Shoot me." she ordered again. "Will it get you anywhere? Hell no," she smiled that sardonic smile of hers. "But if you think it will satisfy you, go ahead. However, I do have one last request." She turned to look at me. "Release Ami." I drew a ragged breath. Now both of their attentions were on me, though President Munez's gun was still on Relena. 

"This is between me, you and the Alliance. Ami is completely innocent. A civilian. She doesn't have to be caught up in this. Release her and you will not be tainted." She said passionately, while still focused on me. I looked up at President Munez. His composure seemed to be cracking. His gun was being lowered. Relena smiled. 

"That's right, let her go. Keep this between us," she said softly. The intensity of the moment made me breathless. It was like Relena was one of those negotiators that tried to get crazed gunmen to give themselves up. Sometimes they agree. 

Sometimes they don't. President Munez suddenly regained his stability. The gun was focused on Relena again; his eyes were steely and cold. 

"No," he said lowly, but firmly. "No, the both of you will die together." And with that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving Relena and me alone with the guards. 

Ooh, the plot thickens! 


	22. Chapter 22

Only Time

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Okay, I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. Gundam Wing belong Sunrise and Bandai Agencies and Sailor Moon belongs to…uh…some Japanese person…can't remember the name at the moment…

Okay, peeps, I scudded school so I could write this! 

Okay, that wasn't too accurate. No, today, I woke up feeling sick, so I couldn't go to school. I feel better now, so I decided to do something worthwhile…

Questions and/or Comments and Answers/Responses:

Jessica: My lips are sealed *makes zipping motion*

Gotunks: Interesting proposal…yes, I read the WHOLE thing…in fact, if I didn't have it already planned out, I just might consider it…no, I'm serious. Uh, look for my review sometime over the weekend, maybe Saturday…

Megami*Silence: I'm perfectly fine. I'm perfectly sane…I'm one with the sanity. *Glares at anyone who dares to contradict*. Well, since I don't know your home addy, I'll have to email it to you. I wonder how many KBs that'll take up? I'll email on Saturday, I just have a ton of work to do. Love the forward, btw.

Kaiya: You're working on it? You better be, the suspense is killing me! Do you know which dimension you're going to do yet? 

Crystal Dragon: Okay, I'm going to be serious: I'm _trying _my best to get out of the cliffhanger thing, trust me. In fact, I'm actually looking over the upcoming chapters to see if I can cut out some of them, though they can't be helped sometimes. Like this one.

Any other stuff? Okay, uh I'm gonna get a list ready…hope you've got money!

Minimerc: Ooh, are we about to crack too? Hehe!

Jchild: That thick, huh? Well, it gets thicker! Just hope I can maneuver my way out of it when the time comes…

Oldestof3: Lips are sealed!!!

Wicked Lady: Well, I'm glad to see you aren't ready to butcher me…anyway, we'll see…when you say Relena's speech, you mean the very last one, right? Wait, that was the only one, right? Argh! InfoTech's frying my brain!

SweetAngels3: Oh, thank you. Seriously, I strive to make Relena seem somewhere near human…I don't have a problem with any of the GW girls…except Dorothy…something about her rubs me wrong in so many ways. It ain't the eyebrows either…

Callisto-Star: I want a Hee-chan plushie!!! *pouts and folds arms* And a Wing Zero model too!

Myst Lady ML-chan: Actually, it might be ten…it depends, really. How's the fic planning coming along?

Solus Nox: Well, she hangs around Duo quite a bit…actually, I was hoping to surprise you guys with the whole President-Munez-evil-plot thing…as for the action movies, I saw Crouching Tiger once, and that was when it came out first. We both know that was a very long time ago, and my memory isn't the best in the world…Kiss of the Dragon (with my baby, Jet Li! *squeals*) I haven't seen it yet, though I plan to change that over the Christmas break.

Meio-chan: Uh…she was stressed? Or was it really a wonderful plan of hers? I don't know, really. 

Britaneia: You love cliffies? Cool! Thank you kindly, by the way.

Silver-Star: Did I just make Li go mad? Yes? Cool! I got skills, yo! *dances to Dilemma which is playing on the radio…however she can't dance, so she ends up injuring herself in the process* Ow…

Lady-Solarity: Uh…no cliffies are good cliffies? *whimpers*  Ooh, I hear you. My exams are all the way next June, and I'm already starting to stress. I mean, why should I stress? My results only determine whether or not I'll be able to go to university! *pulls out hair; screams and runs away*

Kid: Aw, thank you, that's sweet! 

Angel_Anne: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's been I while since I last saw you…I'm glad you realize that wouldn't be a good idea…besides, I bruise easily…

WikeD tEnShI: Thank you!

~*~

The silence was deafening. Relena's eyes were on the door which President Munez just departed through. My eyes were on her as she regarded it with a look of pure defeat and dismay. Her face suddenly grew older by about ten years, lines I never noticed before showing clearly. She did look so much older than her eighteen years. 

Then, with a long, loud sigh, she closed her eyes and turned from the door. She took another deep breath, her shoulders sagging greatly. The weight of the world it seemed like. Her hair fell into her face messily. The candle had been replaced and lit. 

"I'm so sorry," she whispered softly, I barely heard her. She sighed again and fixed her eyes on mine. It could've been the dim light of the candle, but her eyes were now a dark blue. "So sorry."

I said nothing. I knew what she meant. She thought she failed me. I was going to die here with her if anything and she felt she could've prevented it. I gave my own sigh.

"It's alright, Relena," I said flatly. But it wasn't alright. I realized that immediately after I said those words. I wanted to live, oh Kami, I wanted to live. I wanted to fulfill my purpose for coming here, in this dimension. I wanted to find my soul mate. There was a terrible emptiness in my heart that I longed to fill. It had always been with me, but now I couldn't ignore it. Now it was obvious. 

"No it's not, Ami," Relena said firmly. "It's not. I could've gotten you out of here, but I jeopardized your life with my foolish cheekiness," she looked off almost painfully. "I sealed your faith." 

I listened to Relena as she spoke. Yes, I found myself thinking, this is your fault. 

"Why'd you do it, Relena?" I heard myself ask her. "Why'd you try him like that?" she sighed shakily, but never faced me.

"I guess I though I could make him see how senseless this was and maybe he'd let us go. When I saw that wasn't happening, I tried to plead for you."

"You could've gone about it in another way," I told her softly. She nodded. 

"Yes, I could've. But I misread him," Relena heaved another great sigh. "I'm so sorry, Ami," she finally said, her voice shaking. "So, so sorry."

"I'm sorry too." I don't think she heard me. 

~*~

The next day went by with such an exaggerated slowness, an entire week seemed to pass by instead. For the whole time, Relena and I barely exchanged any words. She was fixated on something outside the window and I was deep within my own private thoughts. When lunchtime came around, neither of us ate a single thing. 

My thoughts weren't solely focused on my failed soul mate search. Instead, I reminisced on my old life. With the other scouts. 

When I first discovered I was a Sailor Scout, I was so scared. First of all, there were the youma running around the place. Those things were so damned scary at the time; I highly doubted I would be able to defeat them. The fact that Serena was a total, please forgive me, flake didn't help boost my self-confidence. 

But I did what I had to do. I worked with Luna, and later Rei, to try getting Serena to take on her responsibilities. After a while, we finally seemed to get through to her somewhat. After all, there were still occasions we had to ever-so-gently remind her of her duties as Sailor Moon.

Even after Mina and Lita joined us and we were getting used to working together as a team, I was still not completely convinced we could defeat the Queen Beryl and the Negaverse. Even after we defeated one powerful youma after another, I was still concerned. 

That all changed when we defeated Beryl together, truly as a team. When we all gathered around the Serena, as the Moon Princess, and lent all of our energy to her, and watched Beryl's demise, our dream for more than a millennium, that made me finally believe we were destined to defeat 'the bad guys' and protect the world from all evil. We, the Sailor Soldiers, were the hope of universe. And I felt quite comfortable with it. 

We grew closer with each foe we defeated. We became sisters. No, closer than that. We became one. 

So God knows that I'll miss them more than anything else in this world. 

                  Serena, with her annoying, crybaby antics. Anyone who knows Serena and says they haven't had the urge to throttle her at least once, would be lying. And I don't lie. Yes, there have been occasions when I wanted to wring her neck, especially when it was just the two of us. The other scouts have no doubt come very close, especially Rei, but then Serena does a total 180, completely surprising us, and displays an overwhelming sense of maturity. On those occasions I still want to throttle her for making us worry so much. But Serena is a very special person. She has a way of inspiring people to do their best. She came make you laugh as much as she came make you angry. And she can surprise you with the overwhelming amount of food she can eat. I swear, Serena never can get enough food, and yet she still stays stick slim. She is such a slacker when it comes to anything relating to work, especially school work. I can't figure out how she got into high school. Yes, I still remember our study sessions. But she sure does know how to pull through for you when times get rough. The amount of times she saved our fat from the fire, I can't count. 

                  Then, there's Rei, her so-called best friend. Okay, that wasn't fair, because Rei cares about Serena more than she cares to admit. Way more. Rei also disses Serena more than anyone else. They are always at it, a day doesn't pass when those two don't find something to argue over. But sometimes, Rei would honestly provoke Serena, and Serena does know how to piss off Rei. But you'll never see a friendship like theirs. Rei is something else, indeed. Her lethal fashion sense and outspoken attitude define her. And as much as she acts like she couldn't care less about most things, and she very good at that, if you really know her, you know she does. More than anyone else, in fact. She's tough, and quite capable of being harsh, but it's usually for the betterment of the person (Serena). And her voice. Oh, you will cry if you hear her sing the Ave Maria. Mariah Carey has _nothing _over Rei.

                  Mina is the carefree one of the group. She is so hyper and so flighty, it's really hard to predict what she'll do. She's the true lead of the inner scouts, as she got her pen before the rest of us, if my memory serves me correctly. She was reluctant, but she joined us eventually. Mina definitely knows how to have a good time, and to make the best of worst times. If you see Mina depressed, you know things are bad. Rei and Mina are alike in some ways, as they're both clotheshorses and they take pride maintaining their beautiful appearances. She is also a serious fighter. Mina doesn't know the meaning of the word 'quit'. 

                  Lita, the tomboy, the 'Sporty Spice' of the inner scouts. She is so active and hard-hitting, it is very easy to take her at face value. You look at her and see that things hardly phase her. She can give any guy competition when it comes being tough. But, like I said, it is very easy to take her at face value. She lives on her own quite competently, and this could be taken for maturity. But she's a very lonely person. She doesn't mingle that much with people, though I'm not going to speculate as to why that is. So people mistake that for coolness. But once you get to know her, she is the sweetest person you'll ever meet. And so full of surprises. For instance, looking at her, you'll never know that she's a whiz in the kitchen. Yet Lita can whip up a gourmet using a box of macaroni, tofu and a packet of mixed veggies. I know, 'cause I've seen her do it. And once she likes you, she will defend you until the very end. 

                  I don't know much about the outer scouts, as they can be standoffish but they have left their impression. Michiru, the elegant, stylish, utterly feminine soldier. She is so beautiful, it's almost dreamlike. And her violin music can make Beethoven weep. But she is as tough as any other scout, maybe even tougher than us. It would be a mistake to say Haruka is exactly like Lita because of their rough and tough, boyish attitude. Haruka adopts it in her appearance as well. I will never forget the time Mina and Serena went chasing after her the first time they met her because they thought she was a boy, that's how she is. I still laugh when I think about it. But Haruka is so protective of us, it is not hard to see that she cares about us. Hotaru, poor Sailor Saturn, she's been through so much in her short life. Possessed by Mistress Nine isn't a very pleasant experience. Especially since the Michiru and Haruka were all for killing her because of that. Now, they shower her with so much love, as they took her into their homes. Setsuna, so mysterious and silent, no-one knows much about her. Personally, I think she is the strongest out of all of us. But if she is, she hardly acknowledges it or shows it. However, she does show her love for us by acting like a kind of surrogate mother. I believe she will stop at nothing to protect us. 

My heart heaved as I thought about each of them in turn. I saw them in my mind's eye, all smiling and laughing. I missed them so terribly. I wished I could go back home. I choked back a sob as a wave of homesickness flooded over me. 

I looked over at Relena who was still looking out the window. She'd been at that for more than an hour, I'm sure. As if a sensor picked me up, Relena turned to face me with a sad smile. She started to talk. 

"Right after the Eve Wars, Miliardo came back to me. I mean, you can imagine my shock, because from all reports, he was dead. Anyway, he came to me in London, where I was staying at that time and we spent a week together. The best week of my life for a very long time. And we just talked. We talked about our years apart, after the fall of the Peacecraft empire. He told me about his years with OZ, I told him about my years with my foster family. We didn't talk about the Eve Wars; it was too fresh in our memories, too painful. However, we did talk about the few years we were together, back when we were children in the Sanq. I learnt plenty from him, because I didn't remember anything. The only memories I had were cloudy, mixed up images that get even more cloudy and mixed up as the years go by," at this time, looked at me, as if to see if I was listening to her. I nodded to show I was and she continued.

"Anyway, the last night, we were sitting together and I was telling him my fears about my duties as Vice Foreign Minister. What if I didn't do my job correctly? What if I didn't satisfy the people? Then he started to tell me about mother. Our mother. He told me what a good person she was, how she was so humane and compassionate and how she never let public opinion or favor turn her away from her goals and duties. I was confused, I mean, what did this have to do with me and my concerns? Then he turned to me and said: 'You remind me so much of her.' He touched my face and told me I looked so much like her, same bone structure, same eyes, same hair, same facial expressions. Then he told me that I was just like her in terms of attitude and beliefs. I proved that to him when I came to him on Peacemillion. He told me that I have her conviction and passion and her heart." She stopped and took a shaky breath. 

"That meant so much to me," Relena stared again, her voice strained and high. "Because I always heard how good a person my mother was, how she always looked out for the best interests of everyone around her, how she always made sacrifices so her people would be happy." Relena scoffed. "She was like a modern day Princess Diana. And I always wanted to be like her, to measure up to her. That was the first time anyone ever told me I did," she turned to me, her eyes glistening. "You understand, right?" 

I nodded because I didn't trust myself speaking at the moment. It choked me up, I must admit. Her story, along with my frustrations and memories, made me want to start crying and never stop.

I did understand. Not completely, because my mother was still alive, but I always found myself trying to measure up to her. Trying to become a big successful doctor. To become respected and intelligent just like her. She and I aren't that close, but I still felt the desire to be compared to her. I nodded again. Oh, I did. 

"Yeah, I do," I whispered. 

At moment, the door opened. President Munez stepped in, with two guards behind of him. Two guards with assault rifles. I could feel my blood grow cold in my veins. I looked out the window and saw it was dark outside. I didn't realize it was that late. 

"Well, Ms Relena, looks like you were right in your prediction," President Munez said calmly. Relena took a deep, shuddering breath. "So unfortunate."

He walked in, his soldier behind him. My eyes never left them. President Munez took up his usual position between us, while the guards walked around. I saw one guard take up his position behind Relena. I could feel the other guard behind me. 

"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Ms Relena," he nodded to her. "Ms Ami," he nodded to me. "But I am a man of my word. I told them what would happen at the end of forty eight hours, but they didn't heed me." He sighed. His expression was almost remorseful. "So…" at the utterance of this word, I saw the guard behind Relena cock his gun. I heard the click behind me too. He aimed it to the back of her head, and I could feel the other gun behind of mine. My heart was pounding in my chest. 

"So," President Munez repeated and looked at his watch. "We have about…two more minutes to go," he said. I bit my lip to keep from crying out. I had been faced with death many times before, but this time was somewhat different. I saw Relena close her eyes and her lips moved rapidly, though soundlessly. I soon recognized the words to be that of the Lord's Prayer. I closed my eyes and muttered my own Shinto prayer. Nothing could help us now…nothing…

There was a sudden explosion from the doorway. My eyes snapped open and all I saw was smoke. I started to cough, as it was choking me. All around me, I heard chaos. I heard shouting and swearing in the rough language from before and then the sounds of flesh hitting flesh. I heard the unmistakable sound of a sword being unsheathed quickly, before rapid, successive slashes. And then I heard some familiar words. _English _words! 

"The two of you take care of them!" I heard someone say. Almost immediately, I felt the bounds from my hands being released. My feet were next, then I felt myself being picked up in a pair of strong arms. 

It seemed like a second later I was outside, in the cool night breeze. My mysterious rescuer, who was running at an impossible speed, was still carrying me. His breathing was steady, though rapid. I wrapped my arms around his neck so I wouldn't fall. 

After a while, he began to slow down, until we were finally walking. Yet, he didn't put me down. Not that I minded; my legs felt like jelly. We came unto a little alcove and he started walking through it. The air was even cooler between here. Damp leaves brushed against my face and my skin. Soon, we came up a clearing. 

My eyes nearly dropped out of my head. 

"Oh my God…" I whispered. Before me were five of the biggest humanoid…things I've ever seen. Drawing from the glimpses I got of Rei and Serena's Manga comics, I took a wild guess and figured that these were Mecha. And from the limited knowledge I gathered while here, I figured that Mecha=mobile suits, mobile suits=

Gundams!

They were magnificent objects, taller than most buildings, their shiny metal reflecting in the moonlight. They were decorated in their own unique ways, though I didn't take all of that in at the time. 

Okay, let's break it down. First of all, Gundams aren't supposed to exist, much less FIVE Gundams! Secondly, if these were Gundams, this meant that the Gundam pilots are here. Okay, they were the ones who saved us, cool. So, the bare fact that this guy knows where they're kept, means he's a pilot too. Huh. So, therefore, I'm supposed to know him!

I craned my neck to see who it was holding me so comfortingly in his muscular arms. 

"Oh…" I moaned softly. Yeah, you guessed it.

It was Heero. 

You saw that coming, huh? Yeah…You know what to do, read and review… 


	23. Chapter 23

Only Time

Part One: At the Beginning

By: Zarabeth McGregor

Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. Aight? Cool. The phrase Pools of Prussians is copyrighted to Minimerc. 

Sorry! I'm _soooooooooo _sorry it took so long for me to update! I had to do a History project, and then…I must admit…I had to try and figure out what I was doing for this chapter. You aren't ready to kill me no?

Also, I've been reading the Sailor Moon Super S mangas, and I must say, they're much better than the anime in my humble opinion. I mean the scouts are much prettier (well, okay I probably prefer to see Mina, Rei and Michelle in the anime, but anyway!) and I seem to feel it more. The artwork is much lovelier, though, I'll vouch for that. But while reading and looking at the pictures, I have a question to ask: if the scouts are shorter than me (Lita's the tallest and she's 5'4'', my height) how did they end up with legs longer than mine? I've been asking that question for the past few days now…

Anyway…

Questions or Comments and Answers or Responses:

**D-chan**: Uh…where do you get off calling my fic trite, cliché, overdone and boring?  I mean, what's your reasoning behind that? Just because I so happen to want Ami to be the recipient of Heero's affection? I like Heero, so what? *Rolls eyes* And as if I'm going to scrap this just because you say I should…dream on…

                     : Haven't you ever heard of re-vamping an old…well, I guess we can call it a tradition? While I must admit it that Heero does fall for Ami, you really should be more open-minded; just because the first chapter _seems_ to be following the norm doesn't mean the rest of the fic _will._ And besides, if you read on, you'd realize that I couldn't possible write 22 chapters based on that one topic and manage to rake in over 350 _wonderful _reviews.

**Kid: **Begging your pardon?

**Lady-Solarity: **Ami losing her scout abilities…hmm…maybe…and thank you; I hope you didn't fail yours on my account…

**SweetAngels3: **Quite double standard, I must admit…Ooh…what'd you guess wrong?

**Callisto Star**: *laughs* funny? How?

**D-chan's Ice Queen: **Why, thank you!

**RoseGirl2000: ***sniff* Thank you…*sniffs again; starts sobbing*

**Ladymiaka11: ***Curtsies deeply and graciously* Thank you kindly, My Lady. I'm glad you seem to like Relena more, that's what I wanted to achieve with this fic.

**Silver-Star: **I broke Li? Wow…I made her snap…is that possible? *Re-reads review; blinks in amazement*

**Kaiya: **Nothing to do with notebooks, you say…*Narrows eyes, sniffs* well, I guess it _was _kinda obvious…but that doesn't mean you're off the hook yet! Hmm…it's been…three weeks, and I'm still waiting for that email…as for the 'sickness' thing…I really was sick, for your information…*huffs*Christmas break is coming up soon…like next Friday…*laughs joyously*

**Michelle Ann: **I agree…Relena isn't a bad person, she really isn't…at least for the better part of the show…*remembers Relena's antics in the first few episodes; shudders* Oh, and I'm glad to hear that, mine might be partially historical as well…it's just a matter of picking the time period…

**Lanc: **Aw…sorry for the suspense bit…seriously, sometimes it can't be helped. 

**Sammie: **Yes, they were…finally!

**Oldestof3: **Oh, you do?

**Jessica: **Ooh…you see the scandal in this whole situation, huh?

**Gotunks: **I know…he's sweet…in his own strange way…

**Crystal Dragon: **Nah…I don't want to stress you…especially now since Christmas is coming on and I have added a heap of stuff to the list…

**WikeD tEnShI: **Cute, huh? Interesting…

**Arella Hallo: ***laughs* Well, it took me long enough, but yes, we are!

**Kate: **Aw…I could never do that…then I'd get killed by the likes Kaiya and yourself…and many, many other people…they scare me…*pulls teddy bear closer; squeezes it*

**Shi no Tenshi/Megami: **Oh, girlfriend, I will, trust me…it's just finding the time…I'm sooo stressed out from school

**Solus Nox: **I know!!!! *Squeals* I especially liked him and Aaliyah together in 'Romeo Must Die'. They look cute together. I was looking forward to seeing them in 'Matrix 2', but then she died…*sniffs*

**Wicked Lady: **Yeah…true that…I guess he would've been expected since…well…you know…but Duo would be too 'cause he's her guy. Hmm. President Munez, Ami's soul-mate? *Laughs* Now _that _would be one for the bloopers!

**Mercury Ice Storm: ***laughs* Oh, yeah, ANYBODY!!! 

**Jchild: **Oh, yes she can be!! *Laughs* I envy you, by the way…

**Hope129: **Well, it was only a matter of time…why thank you, by the way.

**Minimerc: **Yeah…he did…hmm, what about Relena indeed…

~*~

                  I took a deep breath and looked up again, you know, just to be sure. Thick, messy, chocolate hair that fell over his forehead, into his unusual Prussian eyes, a firm, determined jaw-line and thin-set lips. Yep, I'd say that was Heero. However, this confirmation did not lift my spirits or fill me with relief. Instead, my heart seemingly turned to lead as it sank rapidly in my chest. I wasn't ready to face Heero. I doubt I was even ready to face Duo. Not yet, not when I didn't have the chance to think over and sort out the problem, which, by the way, seemed to laugh at me and my total 'cluelessness' to the whole affair. I moaned and quite ironically, leaned against Heero for comfort. 

Presently, Heero put me down gently and pressed a button on some sort of handheld device. Out of nowhere, a silver cord descended from the Gundam. He grabbed onto it with one hand and pulled me carefully toward him by putting the other arm around my waist tenderly. Before I could stress myself about being so close to Heero, we were suddenly above the forest floor, and moving quite steadily. I held on to a strap of his green tank top. In less than no time, we had stepped onto a platform projecting from what assumed to be the chest of the Gundam. The cord had vanished just as suddenly as it had appeared. 

I took this opportunity to look inside of the Gundam. I frowned at what I saw. See, what I assumed to be the cockpit was no bigger the average driver's side of a car. More space seemed to be taken up by control panels and the like than that of personal room for the pilot. And all the pilot's space consisted of was a leather seat, now facing us, with seatbelts that seemed more like harnesses and joysticks and levers on either side arm of the chair, as well as more buttons and switches. 

In all of this, I had one question that bugged me: if there was barely enough space for the pilot, that person being Heero, where was I supposed to sit? 

At that moment, Heero strode across the platform, before taking the little half step down into the cockpit. Then, he seated himself upon the pilot's chair. I raised a brow as he gazed up at me, as if he expected me to do something. 

"What?" I asked with a shrug. Heero spread his hands. 

"Aren't you going to sit?" I blinked, looking at the area he was gesturing at. This area just so happened to be his lap. Uh, he couldn't possibly be serious. Me, sit on him, for this entire flight? Didn't this thing have a jump seat?

"You must be joking," I said with a dry chuckle. Heero shrugged.

"I assure you, I'm not. This is the only option," I saw his Prussian eyes start to glimmer mischievously. "Unless you prefer to be strapped to the Gundam." I felt my cheeks redden at his remark. I also became very aware of the cold metal of the platform stinging the soles of my bare feet.

                  Okay, I mean, considering the situation we were involved in presently, believe it or not, I was actually considering the more recent proposal. However, before I could do anything stupid, common sense kicked in. with a huge, resigned sigh, I started to walk over to him. During my short walk over, a light breeze blew around me, making me suddenly aware of my attire. President Munez didn't allow Relena and me the opportunity to change our clothes. So, I was still in my blue, oversized nightgown that barely covered my thighs. As I took the step down, I glanced up at Heero. 

"We don't have all day, you know," he said flatly. I decided to put my reservations to rest and get over it. I walked over to Heero, turned and sat down. I made sure, however, that I didn't apply all of my weight onto him, so I wouldn't get too comfortable. 

                  He swung the seat around so we were facing the control panel, as well as the transparent windshield. Never before had I seen so many buttons and switches. How could anyone understand or even remember their functions when the all looked alike? Not to mention the fact that they were unlabelled. But, Heero seemed to be very confident about what he was supposed to do, because his fingers raced over the panel as he pressed the buttons and flicked the switches. Immediately after all of this, I heard a dull roar from somewhere below us. I could also feel the vibrations as the Gundam took flight. I barely felt him as he placed an arm around my waist, pulling me toward him. I did, nevertheless, feel the hard planes of his chest against my back; feel his breath upon my hair.

So much for not getting too comfortable.

With his free hand, Heero wrapped his slender fingers around the head of the joystick on the chair's arm and began twisting and turning it in gentle, deft movements. He then switched to the opposite arm and began to push the lever forward slowly but surely. This alternating action went on for a few more minutes, to steady the Gundam as it flew. And all this while he held me to him. I realized that he was safeguarding me, securing me if anything should happen. I became aware of his arm around my waist once again, its gentle firmness comforting me slightly. I felt safe. 

About five or ten minutes after, the Gundam was finally stable. I took this rare opportunity to look at the sky outside. Oh, it was so beautiful. Stars twinkled against a dark sky like diamonds sewn onto piece of rare, black, velvet. Space colonies floated around us, silently and serenely, no doubt conducting their affairs oblivious to everything around them, it seemed. They were like their own little worlds in one big, vast universe, isolated from the others. To my left was the moon, bright and full, its craters like little pinpricks on its surface. But that wasn't what I was putting my attention on. My eyes were focused to something just behind of it, almost unnoticeable if you weren't looking in that direction, but quite apparent all the same. I was looking at the Earth. 

From up here, the Earth was eerily beautiful, the only colour in a void of black. How tiny we looked from this vantage point. How so very vulnerable, as well. Heero removed his arm slowly, to try and not stir me from my rapture. But this gradual movement was what brought me back to reality. Back to being stuck in a Gundam, immensely uncomfortable. Back to my problems and stress. I sighed inwardly and posed the question which had been bothering me for some time now. 

"How long will this flight take?" 

"We will be landing on colony FG512," he said monotonously. "That should take an hour and a half approximately." An hour and a half. That was ninety minutes, a double period at school. Oh, now _that topic_ will _definitely _come up. 

But I _would _definitely procrastinate it, if not prevent it. I devised a little scheme to delay the proceedings a bit. While sitting in silence would be preferable to the both of us, that was boring and I would be tempted to discuss it with him. But if I kept him talking…

"May I ask you a question?" I asked him sweetly. I could feel him shrug. 

"Go ahead," he said flatly. 

"Weren't the Gundams destroyed after the Mariemaia revolts?" I'd been itching to ask this question since I saw the suits.

"Propaganda," Heero replied simply. 

"Sorry?" I asked with a frown.

"Self-created propaganda," he clarified. He told me bluntly, like I was supposed to know what he meant. 

"Um…" I began; about to voice my confusion. 

"The Alliance ordered us to destroy the Gundams. We didn't agree with their reasons behind this wish, so we arranged for it to be _reported _that they were destroyed," he said, putting slight emphasis on the word 'reported'. I understood why they took that stand. The Alliance probably though that there won't be any more wars, so the Gundams weren't needed. The Preventers knew better, but they didn't want to appear insubordinate, so they made it _look _like they appeased them. And I couldn't blame them. I didn't want to imagine what would've happened to Relena and I, had they destroyed the Gundams. 

"How'd you guys get the additional information on our kidnapping, like the 48hr condition?" I asked another question. Heero grunted. 

"I thought you said 'a' question," he commented coldly. I simply shrugged. 

"Indulge me; it's a long flight," I imagined him rolling his eyes as he grunted again. 

"We roughed up one of the younger members and he gave us the relevant information," he said that with such finality, I knew that conversation was dead, unable to be resurrected. I also knew hardly any time had passed. So I brought up a new topic. 

"So, I have the privilege of flying in the legendary Gundam Wing Zero, huh?" I said with a musing sigh. It _was _a bit overwhelming, being in this machine which helped to save the world from utter annihilation on more than one occasion. 

"You're mistaken. This is the Gundam Tallgeese 3," he replied stoically. I couldn't help but giggle at the name 'Tallgeese'. Seriously, it sounded very comical. Think about it…Tallgeese. Tall…geese…Anyway, it was still intrigued by Wing Zero.

"So where's your Gundam?" I asked. I also felt Heero shift slightly in his seat. 

"The Gundam Wing Zero has been completely destroyed. It suffered irreparable damage during the Mariemaia Revolt. My heart sank slightly at his words. Not only was a disappointed to hear that such a magnificent machine had been destroyed, but at the coldness behind his words. He didn't even refer to it as 'my Gundam', as I heard of other pilots doing. 

"Don't you miss it?" I asked, curious. In the papers I had gotten on my first day in this dimension, I read that pilots were usually attached to their Gundams emotionally, and usually gave them pet names, or even talked to them as they would a friend. It's understandable; they had seen so much together, been through things most of us could only imagine. 

"Why? Should I?" came his response, as frosty and detached as before. But this time, there was something behind of it. Sadness?

"I don't know, I guess I expected you to, you've gone through so much with it…"

"Gundams are machines of mass destruction, used to kill people, innocent as well as those deserving, he said, cutting me off. 

"But…"

"Certain Gundams," Heero continued, as if I hadn't tried to interject. "Can have an undesirable effect on you, play on your emotions and fears. You are turned into something less than human, something completely without mercy or scruples." Heero's voice was so charged with emotion, it shook. I listened to him, my mouth slightly agape and eyes wide, obviously enthralled. He paused for a few minutes, and I could feel him breathing deeply, wrestling with something inside of him. Then he spoke again, softly and breathlessly: 

"You never realize until it's too late."

After that last comment, we sat in silence. I knew what he was talking about when he referred to 'certain Gundams'; those installed with the infamous Zero system. Only two Gundams were ever equipped with it; The Gundam Epyon and Wing Zero. And Heero piloted both.

From my limited information, I knew that once the system found its way into the pilot's mind, it controlled him until its objectives had been achieved. It controlled him by freeing the pilot of all of his inhibitions and fears, convincing him he had something to fear, a reason to fight ruthlessly and relentlessly, without a shred of emotion or humanity until, as Heero said, it was too late. By then, the damage done was irreversible. It was ironic, since it was a case of machine controlling human, instead of the way it usually was, in my opinion, the way it ought to be. The effects on the human mind influenced by the system for long periods of time…wait, correction…the effects on the human mind, unable to control and overcome its influence, especially for long periods of time, were disastrous. 

I also knew that Heero was the only person ever available to overcome and control the Zero System's influence.  

I pondered all this as the silence stretched on. How did the Zero System get into the pilot's mind? What did the pilot see while he was under its influence? What caused him to be so brutal and savage? And how was Heero able to overcome all of this? All of these questions weighed heavily on my mind and I was itching to ask them. But I never would, never consciously, anyway. Out of respect for Heero, I didn't; I knew this was a sore topic for him. I glanced down at his hand on his joystick and I knew how much it affected him. Heero's hand was gripping its head tightly; his knuckles were bone white. He was undoubtedly reflecting his times under the system's influence. I also knew they weren't pleasant thoughts. I suddenly wanted to ease his tension, to stray his thoughts from that dark place in his mind. 

"You took us for a ride, you and Relena did," I said suddenly, immediately regretting it. We all knew where this conversation was going to end up. 

"What?" Heero asked, as if he was suddenly jerked from a deep sleep.

"You and Relena knew that Duo and I were trying to get you too back together," I rephrased my comment. I noticed that he was easing his grip on the joystick. 

"It was quite obvious," he replied as if it was no big thing, back to his cool demeanor. I frowned at this remark though I sighed silently at the return of his nonchalant attitude.

"How so?" I asked. Was it me, or did he chuckle?

"Duo never asks me to go out with him," he answered, his voice emotionless, though. "Says I'm no fun." I sighed. He knew something was up from the word 'Go'. 

"So that means you didn't agree to come because you wanted to spend quality time with your best friend," I said, suddenly gaining some enlightenment.

"Of course not."

"You wanted to see what he was up to," I continued, ignoring his little comment. 

"That's right."

"And when you saw me and Relena, you knew."

"Go on."

"Then, I guess you didn't buy our sudden departures either, so when you got up while I was leaving, you were going to spy on me," I closed my eyes, remembering the glass windows along the wall on the way to the bathroom, with a clear view of the parking lot. And to think I warned Duo about the very same thing. 

"Go on," he encouraged me again. I bit my lip, trying to remember what Relena told me. 

"Okay, so you told Relena about our plans but…" I wrinkled my nose and took a wild guess. "She needed proof, so you went over to Duo, to get your proof, which you did, you called Relena with the evidence, she became convinced, and came up with her little plan, which you agreed to."

"Bravo," Heero said dryly. I was tempted to chuckle, I must admit, but something still baffled me. 

"So…what was your proof, then?" I asked slowly. I heard Heero scoff slightly. 

"Sure you can't figure it out?" he asked in a teasing, patronizing way. I felt my temper flare momentarily. 

"Would I be asking if I could?" I spat. The things embarrassment makes you do. Heero chuckled lowly behind me, obviously enjoying himself. 

"I went over by Duo to confront him, you know that much. I presented my evidence and then I dared him to deny it," he said. I waited for him to continue, by stomach tightening slightly. "But then he surprised me."

"Huh?" I asked dumbly.

"The thing about Duo is whenever he's confronted with something, he will admit to it. He won't even try to deny it," I frowned slightly.

"But Relena said…"

"He would admit to it," he repeated, his tone commanding me to take his word for it. "Aren't you familiar with his motto: 'I may run, I may hide, but I'll never tell a lie'?" 

"Obviously not," I muttered to myself. I guess if you thought about it hard and long enough, it would make sense. 

However, Heero wasn't finished. 

"From that little denial, I also picked up something else: that it was all your idea," he said calmly. I, on the other hand, felt my heart drop. I turned the best I could so I would be able to see him. 

"How…?" was all I could manage to get out. He smirked softly. 

"Like I said, Duo denied everything, which is highly unusual. Even after I threatened him last time, Duo would've admitted to it. _If _he was crazy enough to try it again. So, I figured I figured the only reason he denied it was because he was protecting someone—you." I blinked rapidly, shocked at his deduction skills. I tried to give him a reason to doubt this.

"How do you know that Duo didn't come up with it on his own, and I just decided to tag along?" I asked with a haughty sniff. Heero chuckled lowly. 

"If you knew what I told duo last time, you would also find it hard to believe that he'd try it again by himself," Heero cocked his head thoughtfully then. "As a matter a fact I found it slightly unbelievable that he'd do this again after what happened last time." Then he smiled softly at me. "Then again, Duo always did anything for a pretty face."

The silence that followed was deafening and heavy, almost tangible. The way Heero was gazing at me, so deeply and intently, was quite unlike the way I was beginning to get accustomed to. His Prussian eyes seemed to impale me, as I couldn't move and inch, even if I wanted to. I think I stopped breathing for a while too. Then they penetrated me, seemingly searching my soul. I wonder what he saw, when he looked at me that way, what he was thinking of. I felt shivers traveling up and down my spine. 

Then he lifted a hand slowly, almost gingerly. His fingers grazed my cheek softly, featherlike. It tickled slightly, but not in the way that would make one laugh and squirm. It transfixed me even more. 

His fingers moved from my cheek, moving upward steadily until they touched my hair, running through my strands delicately. The way they moved, so carefully and cautiously, it was almost as if he was afraid of something, like if he touched me too roughly, I'd break or disappear. Wait, no…that wasn't it…

His hand came down from my hair and traveled back down along my cheek, to the line of my jaw, where it stayed for a few moments. Heero cocked his head to his left, a slight frown on his features. Then his fingers shifted slightly and they moved so slowly, so leisurely, it was almost as if they hardly moved. 

Then his fingertips touched my lips gently, causing my pulse to quicken. Their callousness made the touches more pronounced, more obvious. It didn't help that my lips were quite sensitive.  His thumb brushed against my lower lip, causing me suddenly to develop this irresistible urge to moisten my lips, for they were suddenly dry. 

His still looked at me in that piercing, strong way of his, and I realized that I hadn't broken eye contact since he touched me. Did I even blink?

His fingers moved from my lips, to my chin, where they curled and held it gently. Like a dream, I felt myself being pulled unhurriedly toward him. My eyes grew heavy and I felt my lashes touch my cheek. 

His lips barely brushed mine; I could feel his breath against them. And almost as softly, I felt it trail along my jaw-line, soft wand warm. I could feel it against my earlobe and he whispered softly:

"This isn't right."

Uh…yeah…just so you guys know, this is the end of the scene. Just had to let you know I didn't cliffhanger you again…yeah…bye…


End file.
